ARACHNIDA AT KIRKBY STEPHEN. 253 
W. P. WINTER. 
THE collecting grounds around Kirkby Stephen naturally fall 
into two great types, the upper levels mostly on limestone 
varying in type from the Great Scar to the Yoredales; the 
lower levels mostly on the Permian with relatively luxuriant 
vegetation. For the upper levels examination was made of 
the districts of Nine Standards, Nateby and Hartley. In the 
lower levels Pod Gill and High and Low Stenkrith were visited. 
The smaller limestone screes were of particular interest, 
especially those just to the east of Hartley. Here there is 
evidence of loose limestone screes encroaching upon a stretch 
of open woodland with hazel, hawthorn, and occasional holly. 
Careful examination revealed the fact that the stones on the 
screes could be regarded as of three types. Some had evidently 
fallen some time ago and were mostly occupied by ants, at 
any rate where the substructure consisted of soil from the old 
woodland. There was no conspicuous amount of vegetable 
matter in this, and spiders were absent under the stones 
themselves. A second type had fallen more recently and had 
below it a large proportion of dead leaves and vegetable matter 
generally. With these were generally plenty of the pill- 
millipede and the snake-millipede (Julus), with small diptera 
and other insects. In these cases spiders were abundant. 
Coelotes or Drassus tubes of silk were found quite commonly. 
The third type of stone had fallen at about the same period 
as the last, but was either on other stones with no subjacent 
vegetable remains or had been so placed that no accumulation 
of leaves for leaf-mould had taken place. In this case no 
spiders occurred nor were there many small animals present. 
Careful search confirmed the fact that there was a distinct 
correlation between the number of spiders, especially of those 
with a settled home, and the amount of vegetable matter, 
the intermediate link in the reasoning being supplied by the 
small types feeding upon that vegetable matter and being 
themselves preyed upon by the spiders. A small saw-fly 
larva had been captured by Textrix denticulata, but from the 
very deliberate method in which it set about its meal the 
particular diet selected seemed to be unusual. 
Appended is a list of the spiders and harvestmen identified, 
among which are specimens handed in to me by Messrs. Castle, 
Haigh-Lumby, and Haxby. Altogether thirty-one spiders and 
two harvestmen, or thirty-three arachnids altogether, were 
found, all in Westmorland. 
Found on both levels :— 
Amaurobius fenestralis Stroem, | Bathyphantes concoloy Wid., 2, 3. 
imm. Q. Trochosa terricola Thor., 9, 6. 
Coelotes atropos Walck, 9, S: Lycosa pullata Clerck., 2, 3. 
Textrix denticulata Oliv., 3 nearly 
mature. | 
I9g13 July 1. 
