Observations on the Habits of My (/ale. 167 



being constantly exposed to the danger of becoming tluis reversed 

 in the process of opening the ground around the olive trees (an 

 operation annually performed), the occupants in such cases might 

 not improbably have recourse to a like expedient of closing the 

 inverted tube with a new door. 



The circumstance of the lower operculum being smaller than 

 the upper one, would naturally occur in a nest so reversed, since 

 the tubes are usually somewhat more spacious towards the bottom, 

 so that when inverted and broken off, the new valve would of 

 necessity be of greater dimensions than the original one. Still, 

 however, the appearance of the lower operculum in the Zante 

 nests was such as to lead me to entertain some remaining doubts 

 whether this could have been the original entrance to the nest ; 

 perhaps the inconvenience experienced in those cases had only 

 proved a partial one, self-adjusted subsequently by the gradual 

 subsiding and settling of the clods. 



With regard to the other two nests which I had placed in the 

 same flower-pot with the one reversed as aforesaid, (these having, 

 as already observed, no bottom to their tubes,) I had subsequently 

 placed the pot in the open garden, finding that the domesticated 

 habits of these spiders retained them to their homes, and wishing 

 to afford them an opportunity of obtaining their natural food in 

 accordance with their ordinary habits. After the lapse of some 

 weeks however I became aware that the gardener had been in 

 the habit of regularly watering this in common with other flower- 

 pots ; and seeing that the doors were nearly closed with the 

 washings of the earth, I concluded that the inmates had fled ; 

 when, taking up the nests, I found the lower end much the same 

 as when first placed in the pot, and the tubes themselves untenanted. 

 Upon further search however I found both spiders embedded in 

 the earth at a greater depth ; whether or not they had been intent 

 on prolonging their nests I cannot say, but at all events no 

 tapestry had been produced for the lining of this portion of their 

 mansions. 



These tubes being now spoilt, I removed one of the spiders to 

 the abode of one of it congeners, which was vacant and consisted 

 of the bottom only, to see whether it would readily adapt itself 

 to this change of domicile ; and a new door was found finished 

 the next morning with the same course of proceeding as in the 

 former case, accompanied with the rejection of a paper stopper, 

 the only difficulty experienced being in inducing tlie spider to 

 enter the nest, which is equally witnessed on restoring one to its 

 own abode after having extracted it, this being occasioned doubt- 

 less by the fear of molestation from within. I may add, that 



