THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 945 
part is two or three inches long, and half an inch in diameter. 
The tissue of the tube is very close, fine and white, and 
resembles the cocoon in which some lepidopterous pupz are 
enclosed. It is of uniform diameter, and terminates below in 
a slightly pointed extremity, which is attached to a bundle of 
silky hairs interlaced with fibres of plants. Thus the bottom 
of the tube is protected from the humidity of the earth.” 
I will now continue the quotation from the ‘ Zoologist,’ in 
Mr. Brown’s own words :— 
“When on a visit to Hastings during the past autumn, 
having to pass through a lane with a high and steep sand- 
bank on each side partially covered with grass and bushes, I 
noticed on one of the banks, which had a south aspect, some- 
thing hanging down, which looked like the cocoon of some 
moth; but found, on compressing it slightly, that it was quite 
‘empty. It then occurred to me that it might be the nest of a 
spider; and on examining more closely I found, to my 
surprise, that it descended into the bank, and appeared 
firmly attached at the distal extremity; so firmly, indeed, 
that I could not extract the first I found without breaking it. . 
My curiosity, however, was now thoroughly awakened; and, 
on finding a second example, I went more cautiously to work, 
removed the sand carefully with a long knife, and at a depth 
of nine inches I found the extremity of the structure, and 
drew it out quite perfect. It was along silken sack, and at 
the bottom was a hardish lump, which proved to be a spider. 
The next I tried went very much deeper; indeed so deep 
that I failed, after much trouble, in getting it out at all. I 
tried many others, sometimes succeeding and sometimes 
failing in my attempts to get them out entire. I found them 
vary greatly in length, and think they may be lengthened at 
various periods of the spider’s growth. In some of the nests 
there seemed very obvious indications of this lengthening. The 
usual length was about nine inches, but some were very much 
longer. Their form is tubular, commonly of an uniform 
diameter of three-quarters of an inch, and rounded at one end 
in the form of a purse. They are composed of very fine silk, 
closely woven throughout; white or whitish within, and 
covered exteriorly with yellowish or brownish particles of 
sand, which give the tube a dirty appearance exteriorly ; but 
inside they are always neat and clean, The exterior portion 
