life-historii of Atypus piceus. 391 



I searched high and low for the male among dead 

 leaves and grass, under stones, hoth by day and by 

 night, even going so far as to fancy I might possibly 

 trap them by placing long glass phials in the ground 

 (the mouths just level with the surface), close to the 

 tubes of the females ; but only a " devil's coach-horse " 

 beetle, Ocypus olens, was stupid enough to fall in. I 

 made many unsuccessful journeys in search of the 

 mature male, but at the same time I added very 

 much to my knowledge in several points connected with 

 Ati/piis. 



On October 20th, 1877, I made my twenty-ninth visit 

 to the colony, examining a great many tubes, noting any 

 change in their outward appearance, &c. I had almost 

 reached my last tube when I came upon one near a 

 stunted sage plant, having an opening at the end with 

 the edges turned in, showing that something had entered. 

 I felt sure that I was now on the right scent, and, going 

 down on my knees in a moment, with my knife I cut 

 away every bit of dry stalk of sage and grass ; then 

 quietly scraped away the sand from around the top, 

 keeping hold of the aerial part of the tube, with the 

 bent file working round it, gently raising small quantities 

 of sand, each time going deeper, until I had uncovered 

 about seven inches of the tube. After another ten 

 minutes' digging the bottom of the tube was reached ; 

 my digger placed under, and the whole nest heaved out. 

 I then noticed something moving up inside ; this was 

 the female, which soon forced its way out at the open 

 end. I then observed at the other end something which 

 looked like an old skin. I touched it, when it immedi- 

 ately spread its legs, betraying itself to be the long- 

 sought-for mature male. I cannot describe my feelings 

 or my movements at that moment. I only know I was 

 highly excited, and immediately ran to the Highgate 

 Post Office, and sent a post-card to the Eev. 0. P. Cam- 

 bridge, apprising him of my success. On the 22nd I 

 sent this male on to him, receiving a reply which some- 

 what disappointed me, viz., that the male was not A. 

 " Beckii," but piceus. 



However, having now settled the identity of the 

 Hampstead Atypus, I determined to follow up my 

 observations, until I had completed its life-history ; and 

 I venture to think that the following facts will prove 



