£50 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 
was published; but those cited by Mr. Moggeridge are 
among the earliest and best. The most complete and 
elaborate are by Patrick Browne, in 1756; by the Abbé 
Sauvages, 1763; by Rossi, in 1778 and 1794; by Mr. Gosse, 
1847; and finally by Mr. Moggeridge, in 1873. The 
description quoted by our correspondent is very exact: but 
these spiders generally construct their habitations in the 
earth, and not in the bark of trees. This may, therefore, 
prove a species of trap-door spider new to science.”— 
Edward Newman. 
It. appears that it attracted the attention also of another 
reader, who designates himself “ Anglo-African,” who wrote 
the following paragraph, which appeared in the ‘ Field’ of 
October 17th :— 
“Tt may interest your readers to learn that the trap-door 
spider, described in the ‘Field’ of October 10th, is also 
found in the neighbourhood of the Vaal River, South Africa, 
in the regions of the Diamond Fields. I have myself 
discovered two trap-doors. The first time, when lying in my 
tent one hot Sunday afternoon, with the curtains of the tent 
up, I observed the trap open just outside the tent, and the 
spider come out, leaving the trap open. On being slightly 
alarmed, by pushing a stick in his direction, he retired at 
once, and closed the trap. So very like the surface was this, 
that, looking away to call a ‘chum’ to watch him, I could not 
again see the place. However, our attention was rewarded 
in a short time by the spider again appearing,—I suppose on 
a foraging expedition. It was suggested to try if he was 
afraid of rain, and, on sprinkling the ground on which he had 
taken his afternoon’s walk, he beat a retreat again. This was 
repeated several times on his finding nothing was the matter. 
The door, or trap, was of an oval form, about three-quarters 
of an inch by half an inch in size, and appeared to have a 
capital hinge, and was countersuuk, so as to be level with the 
ground, and fitted in a marvellous way. We took bearings of 
the spot, and intended to have another interview with our 
little friend; but a ‘new rush’ set in, and he was completely 
forgotten. I should mention that this was in gravelly soil. 
On the other occasion I and my chum were ‘ prospecting,’ 
but not for trap-door spiders. However, we came on the tube 
of one in digging away the surface sand, and, carefully working 
