life-history of Atypus piceus. 409 



It soon pulled the head through and down the tube. I 

 then immediately placed the trunk of the fly at the rent ; 

 the spider coming up to mend at once seized and dragged 

 it down. 



Immediately after this I caught a large Sarcophaga; 

 holding it to the open rent, it was seized at once, and, 

 being a strong and lively fly, it gave the spider a great 

 deal of trouble ; but after pulling, pushing, and jerking 

 for twenty minutes, she managed to pull it through. 

 Before she had time to return I had another fly ready at 

 the opening, towards which she drew^ near, and, taking 

 in the situation at a glance, she immediately pulled the 

 tube in with the unmistakeable "I don't want anymore" 

 movement. 



On March 19th, 1884, the warm sun shining full on to 

 my garden-bank, I took my stand just where I had some 

 dozen tubes in my field of vision, watching them in the 

 hope of seeing some voluntary attempt to obtain food. 

 After watching for over an hour, suddenly I saw a pair 

 of fangs dart through one of the tubes and then as 

 quickly withdrawn. I immediately got my magnifier to 

 bear upon this one, and not a moment too soon, for once 

 more the fangs darted through, paused for a moment, 

 then back again, leaving four tiny punctures in the 

 somewhat hard winter covering of the tube. I looked 

 for the cause of this movement, and discovered just at 

 one side of the tube a small hard-coated beetle on its 

 back, which, in its endeavours to right itself, had kicked 

 against the spider's tube. I observed, too, that when 

 the fangs were darted through, the tips were pointing 

 upwards. I immediatel}^ caught a fly, holding it head 

 downwards in such a position that I could see the fangs ; 

 it was seized in a moment, and pulled through and down 

 in a most business-like manner ; the rent mended in less 

 than five minutes, and I did not see the fangs as I desired. 



At 12.25 of the same date (March 19th, 1884) I caught 

 a large male Anthophora, and, holding it by its wings, 

 allowed it to touch a tube hanging down the bank ; the 

 bee buzzed a little, and the spider immediately pulled 

 the tube in and held it for some time. I then held the 

 bee to a tube, the occupant of which had but a short 

 time before taken a large fly. The bee was seized in a 

 moment, but from heliind. I released my hold, and it 

 struggled and liuzzed loudly, but all to no purpose the 



