INSECTS AND THEIR NEAR RELATIVES. 



2 9 



The spider hides in this nest when not seeking its prey. 

 Some species take the precaution to build a branch to their 

 nest, and to provide this branch with a door. As this door 

 forms a part of one side of the main tube, it is not likely to 

 be observed by any creature which may find its way past the 

 first door of the nest. 



Several species of Trap-door Spiders occur in the South- 

 ern and Southwestern States. 



Family DRASSID/E (Dras'si-dae). 

 The Drassids, or Tube Weavers in part. 



There are certain dark-colored spiders that spin no web, 

 but wander about at niglit in search of prey, and hide under 

 leaves and stones during the day-time. Many of them make 

 silken tubes, in which they hide in winter or while moulting 

 or laying eggs. Hence they have been termed Tube 

 Weavers, a name which is also applied to certain other 

 spiders. We will therefore call the members of this family 

 the Drassids (Dras'sids). 



In this family the body is long, and is usually flattened 

 above. It is carried near the ground in walking. The legs 

 are rather short and stout ; the second pair are not longer 

 than the fourth, and the feet 

 are furnished with only two 

 claws (Fig. 28). The eyes are 

 in two nearly straight rows, and 

 the maxillae are 

 concave or fur- 

 nished with a 

 furrow (Fig. 29). 



One of the 

 most common 



Fig. 28.— Foot of 

 a Drassid. 



Fig. 29.— Maxilla 

 of a Drassid. 



Fig. 30. — Drassus 

 saccatus. 



species in the 



East is Drassus saccatus (Dras'sus sac-ca'tus) (Fig. 30). 



It lives under stones, in a large bag of silk, in which the 



