28 ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. [Febrnarv 



jfrasses, the top of a foxtail grass, which I had seen coinposiuji 

 other nests, beside some weed stems, ami three little rolled 

 pieces of red, white and blue paper. The spider, which had 

 disappeared for a time below the surface, now came to the 

 opening;, and walkinjij over to one of the grasses she picked it 

 up and carried it to the edge, where, letting it go, she turned 

 around within the tube and attached it at the middle to the 

 entrance with multiple strands of silk. Another grass stem 

 was next taken, which she laid crossing the first, on top of the 

 half buried burs. Then her attention was drawn lo the weed 

 stems, M'hich in like manher were disposed of and imbedded 

 in silken pellets. In their turn then came the red paper, a 

 straw and sand Imndle, placing them with the same scru- 

 pulous neatness. The bit of white paper was drawn to the 

 side and fastened, and lastly the blue paper found a resting 

 spot, all the material which 1 supplied having been used in 

 embellishing the towering castle, which was now nearly an 

 inch in height. Referring again to the plate illustrntion, «, 

 shows a tube which penetrated ten inches id' the soil ; it was 

 finished with a curious castle, having as an ornamentation on 

 top two spikes of the bristly foxtail grass. The interior was 

 slightly enlarged just within. A slight ditference is shown in 

 the tube ft,. the work of a larger spider with somewhat faded 

 sibdomen. As is often the case in old specimens, she had not 

 exercised till her latent talents, for a few bits of tAvigs and a 

 dilapidated leaf constituted her castle, scarcely raised above 

 the ground. Quite a codtrast is presented by the tube r, made 

 l)y a younger individual. Her nrtistic culture was more 

 freely displayed in an excellently buill castle, which I have 

 drawn as a separate illustration, Fig. 2. Surprising industry 

 is shown in the length of the tube, neaily two feet. As if foi- 

 titled a^ijainst invasion the castle was adcuned with a spike of 

 nine prickly heads of bui-grass ; beside the side of the passage 

 was also placed a cluster of burs almost touching theentrauce. 

 At the nmrgin a snmll twig was set on transversely, serving 

 as a little stepping pillar on which the spider chose to climb 

 in getting in and out. The tube <1 has the middle slightly 

 enlarged, showing the ending of what was formerly the Sum 

 mer quarters, while now it is continued down asa Fall op Win 

 ter extension. The spider found in the bottom of this cellar 



