68 THE CASTADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



pose — to allow a free circulation of air, and to keep off too much moîstufe 

 from the eggs. This nest is suspended by a silken thread from the acute end 

 generally in a cavity of the inner bark. It contains from seven to ten un- 

 attached eggs. When the young spiders attain the parent form, they issue 

 ffctiil the nest by a small hole at the latter end, which was formerly made 

 by the parent for the purpose of introducing the eggs. I cannot say that 

 the Canadian spider, which formed the above cocoon is identical with the 

 European T. variegatum, Walck. But in order to show that the architecture 

 ^s the same, I quote from the entomologist' s WeeMy Intelligencer^ April 26^ 

 1856 : " On the 13th inst. I found, under the bark of an old hornbeam, at 

 Hainault, Forest, a little spider's nest, about the size of a pea^ shaped like a 

 balloon, covered with flossy silk of a fine red-brown color, and containing 

 seven pellets, which had free motion. It was supported on a flexible foot- 

 stalk, being altogether nearly half an inch in length, and formed one of the 

 prettiest objects imaginable. — J. W. DouQLAS." 



The scond form of nest or cocoon was found attached to the exterior bark 

 of a birch tree at Quebec. It is sub-spherical, and measures èth of an inch in 

 diameter. The interior covering is composed of a fine flossy white silk, 

 covered with numerous irregular red-^brown threads, similar to those described 

 on the former species. The spider is unknown to me, but from its form and 

 material, I have no dottbt of its belonging to the genus Theridion. 



The third form of nest is still more remarkably beautiful, and undoubtedly 

 the work of a species of Theridion. It is always found under bark of trees, 

 suspended to a thread about an inch in length. Its shape is oblong, acute at 

 both ends, and composed of white silk. Although the exterior is covered 

 with a coarse coating of silken threads, it is so ttansparent that the eggs can 

 easily be counted. I have found its architecture at Quebec and Ottawa, and 

 I have a vague recollection of finding it at Toronto. Not having been suc- 

 cessful in rearing this species, I shall be glad to receive any information 

 regarding its habits. 



The fourth nest was found attached to a fence at Quebec. Although I 

 have some doubts regarding the authenticity of the architect, its form, and 

 the manner in which it was suspended, are the only reasons for classing it near 

 the above genus. The curious part of this little nest is that it is not con- 

 structed of silk, but formed of woody fibre taken from the weather-worn 

 fence on which it was found. At first, I doubted that it was the work of an 

 Araehnidan, but on close observation, I detected the button of silk by which 

 it was attached to the fence. Its form is spherical, measuring ith of an inch 

 in diameter. The pedicel is short, strongly made of woody fibre and silk, and 

 it was firmly attached to the fence. This is the second instance that came 

 under my observation of spiders using other material than silk to cover them- 



