How Animals Work. 



While most of the Trap-door Spiders appear to be 

 nocturnal in their habits, there are exceptions to the 

 rule. Thus one inhabiting the island of Formosa, in the 

 China Seas, is habitually to be seen outside its nest 

 during the daytime, and is said to attract attention by 

 " staring " at any one who may approach, and then 

 hurrying off to its nest and closing the door after its 

 entry. A black Trap-door Spider, which is very com- 

 mon about Parramatta, near Sydney, in Australia, is 

 also to be seen constantly abroad during the daytime. 



The following is an account of the nocturnal habits 

 of a Trap -door Spider which inhabits the island of 

 Tinos in the Grecian Archipelago. It was observed by 

 M. Erber, and shows the remarkable cunning displayed 

 by these creatures. " On my return journey from 

 Rhodes I stayed for a fortnight in the island of Tinos, 

 and among other things I captured several specimens 

 of the so-called Trap-door Spider, and with much 

 trouble procured an entire tube and trap-door. I dug 

 out several of these tubes, but failed to find either the 

 remains of food or excrement. So there was nothing 

 for it but to devote a couple of nights to watch these 

 creatures. With this view I selected a place where 

 many spiders had excavated their tunnels, and availed 

 myself of a moonlight night for my observations. 

 Shortly after nine o'clock the doors opened and the 

 spiders came out, fastened back the trap-doors by means 

 of threads to neighbouring blades of grass or little 

 stones, then spun a snare about six inches long by half 

 an inch high, and afterwards returned quietly to their 

 holes. I had so chosen my position that I could see 

 three of these spiders at the same time. I now cap- 



