A BROODING SPIDER 



fellow with a body as large as that of a small mouse, and 

 stout, hairy legs, digs in the sand a wide tube about a foot 

 deep. The tunnel ends in an enlarged chamber, where the 

 spider deposits about seventy spherical eggs, enclosing them 

 in a cocoon, over which she broods, as you may see her doing 

 in the interesting specimen in the Museum. The burrow is 

 of course lined with silk, which is continued above the sur- 

 face of the ground in the form of a funnel ; the latter is 

 strengthened with grass or leaves, and serves to keep the 

 nest free from drifting sand in the same manner as the 

 tarantula's turret. 



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