TRAP-DOOR SPIDERS. 



69 



others, there was a trap-door at the bottom as 

 well as at the top of the nest: this was at last 

 explained by the following fact. A spider's nest, 

 which was accidentally broken off in being extracted 

 from the ground, was purposely restored to the 

 earth in a reversed position, with the trap -door 

 downwards, and the broken and exposed part 

 level with the surface. The spider immediately 

 set to work to make a new door over the broken 

 part, and finished it with as 

 much completeness as the other. 

 Doubtless, then, those nests 

 which were provided with two 

 doors were such as had been 

 upset and broken. This is the 

 more likely because in Zante, 

 where such nests were found, 

 the earth is annually dug up 

 round the roots of the olive 

 tree, a favourite nesting place 

 of these trap-door spiders. 



We must not omit to mention, that in some parts 

 of South America, especially in Paraguay, there 



NEST WITH TWO 

 OPENINGS. 



