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IX. The life-history of Atypus piceus, Sulz. 

 By Fredc. Enock. 



[Read May 6th and June 3rd, 1885.] 



During the year 1875 I read that most charming book 

 by the late T. Moggridge, entitled ' Harvesting Ants and 

 Trap-door Spiders,' in which is just mentioned the fact 

 that " there is but one British or North European repre- 

 sentative of the Tcrritelari(B.'' I determined to search 

 for this, but the information given in Blackwall's 

 * Spiders of Great Britain ' was so small that I scarcely 

 knew how or where to begin my search ; however, I 

 obtained the ' Supplement to Harvesting Ants and Trap- 

 door Spiders,' and therein I read Mr. Brown's account 

 of his discovery of this grand spider at Hastings, in 

 which he states : — " My attention was first arrested by 

 the sight of something hanging down which looked like 

 the cocoon of some moth." With this clue I started 

 early in 1876 to search the banks at the sides of such 

 lanes as remained around the North of London, — at 

 Tottenham, Edmonton, working round towards Hendon, 

 then to Hampstead, — which seemed to be the most 

 likely place where I might see the " something hanging 

 down which looked like the cocoon of some moth " ; but 

 after many long and weary back-aching searches I 

 began to think I should not be successful ; and on 

 March '26th, 1876, I had but a small part of the Heath 

 left unworked, this composed of steepish banks, with 

 stunted gorse and broom bushes scattered about. I 

 searched the ground most carefully, and much to the 

 amusement of the keepers and policemen, who seemed 

 to doubt my sanity, my constant reply to their questions 

 being " I am looking for spiders " ; and I found that my 

 movements were watched, particularly when I was 

 searching at night. They had heard of "butterfly 

 catching," but never before of anyone wanting spiders : 

 however, I managed to allay their doubts and fears, 



TRANS. ENT. SOC. LOND. 1885. — PART IV. (DEC.) 2 E 



