Spiders. 383 



NESTS, WEBS, AND NETS OF SPIDERS. 



The neatest, though the smallest spider's nest which we 

 have seen, was constructed in the chink of a garden post, 

 which we had cut out in the previous summer in getting at 

 the cells of a carpenter-bee. The architect was one of the 

 large hunting-spiders, erroneously said by some naturalists 

 to be incapable of spinning. The nest in question was about 

 two inches high, composed of a very close satin-like texture. 

 There were two parallel chambers placed perpendicularly, 

 in which position also the inhabitant reposed there during 

 the day, going, as we presume, only abroad to prey during 

 the night. But the most remarkable circumstance was, that 

 the openings (two above and two below) were so elastic, that 

 they shut almost as closely as the boat cocoon of the Tartrix 

 Chlorana. We observed this spider for several months, but 

 at last it disappeared, and we took the nest out, under the 

 notion that it might contain eggs ; but we found none, and 

 therefore conclude that it was only used* as a day retreat. 

 (J. R.) The account which Evelyn has given of these 

 hunting- spiders is so interesting, that we must transcribe it. 



" Of all sorts of insects," says he, " there is none has 

 afforded me more divertisement than the venatores (hunters), 

 which are a sort of lupi (wolves) that have their dens in 

 rugged walls and crevices of our houses; a small brown 

 and delicately-spotted kind of spiders, whose hinder legs 

 are longer than the rest. Such I did frequently observe 

 at Rome, which, espying a fly at three or four yards' 

 distance, upon the balcony where I stood, would not 

 make directly to her, but crawl under the rail till, being 

 arrived at the antipodes, it would steal up, seldom missing 

 its aim ; but if it chanced to want anything of being 

 perfectly opposite, would, at first peep, immediately slide 

 down again, till, taking better notice, it would come the 

 next time exactly upon the fly's back : but if this happened 



