24 



The South Australian Naturatist. 



We placed another spider in the bowl to see what would 

 happen, but alas! for the newcomer; it touched the giant, and 

 instantly lost three legs. The next time it approached the 

 monster it was eaten. One poor beetle left the greater part of 

 its body in the spider's mouth. This was too much for us, so we 

 gave thp spider a piece of raw mutton. This it attacked fiercely, 

 })iercing and piercing it with those terrible fangs. He killed it 

 anew every time he found it. Then we put a worm into the 

 bowl. The spider grabbed one end of it and the other end 

 crawled away, leaving a portion in the spider's mouth. This 

 worm did not live long, and the spider ate it all. 



This species of spider does not spin, but makes a nest in the 

 ground. She lines the nest and covers the entrance with a trap- 

 door, which is hinged to the ground. The egg cocoon is pure 

 white, and the mother spider holds it at the open door to be 

 warmed by the sun. One day I saw one, and stooped to examine 

 it. I touched it, the egg disaj)peared, and out darted the spider 

 so suddenly that for the time fear overcame my curiosity. 



' Dv. R. Pulleine. to whom these interesting observations were submitted, says 

 that the small bare spots indicate muscle attachments. He consider.s thfS spider 

 to be probably Aganippe subtristis. Camb. 



t These patches are known as lung books; there are really four of them. It is 

 with these organs that the spider breathes. 



J 



