CausnipGE.—Ón a new Species of Trapdoor Spider. 283 
value; the same peculiarity is observable in nests of Atypus. Mr. Gillies 
has probably found out their true significance—that is, as receptacles for 
the egg cocoons, Perhaps the swelling of the egg cocoon, as the eggs 
advanced towards maturity, may, in some instances, have tended to increase 
the enlargement. 
In making these observations on the nests of New Zealand trapdoor 
spiders, I have not had any examples of the nests before me; but from Mr. 
Gillies’ paper, I conclude that he has had evidence of one nest only (pl. 
viii., fig. 1) of the double-door branched wafer-lid type, all the rest being 
single-door unbranched wafer-lid nests ; the latter, however, presenting some 
small variations in curvature, and in the enlargement of a portion to receive 
the egg cocoon. All the spiders received by myself, I conclude, from their 
structural and special characters, to be, as before observed, of one species 
only, which varies chiefly in size; the varieties of depth, continuity, and 
confluence of markings not being of specific value. The real maker of the 
nest (fig. 1, pl. viii.,) I conclude, therefore, to be yet undetermined. This 
is a point for future research, and upon which I think Mr. Gillies may be 
able to find further evidence. 
Should Mr. Gillies kindly honour me with any more materials, I would 
ask for the nests, and the spiders found in them, to be in every instance 
- carefully labelled and kept separate from all others.* It is most probable 
that there are several species of trapdoor spiders in New Zealand. Mr. 
Gillies speaks of one with a “ peculiarly large and broad cephalo-thorax ” 
(l. c., p. 225). No such example was contained among those sent to me; 
but this character (unless produced by an accidental crush) would certainl 
be of specific value, in spite of the most exact similarity of the nest to " 
of others; for at present I take it, that although a different type of nest is 
conclusively specific in its value, yet all nests of exactly the same type are 
not necessarily so, since spiders of even different genera ( Cteniza and 
Nemesia) form nests of the same type—viz., unbranched single-door cork-lid, 
and to these, I believe, I may add a species of another genus Idiops 
(I. syriacus, Cambr.) as also a fabricator of a nest of this type. 
The strongest differential specific characters among the Araneidea are 
usually shown in the adult male; this sex should, therefore, be carefully 
sought. So far as I am aware, the males of trapdoor spiders are not 
* The spiders last sent to me by Capt. Hutton were indeed carefully separated and 
labelled, E notes on the labels, referring to the numbers of the nests in Mr. Gillies’ 
paper; but owing to the fracture of several of the larger bottles, the whole package was 
so soaked in spirit, that some of the labels had come off, and the writing on others was 
quite illegible. A single number written on a small piece of parchment, and placed inside 
the tube with the specimen, is the best mode of Gistinetion ; any gas can iusso be made 
by letter, and should be numbered to correspond with the p er in the tube, 
