Guu1es.—On the Habits of the Trap-door Spider. 223 
use and instruction of others. The field naturalist, on the other hand, 
undertakes the former, and by patient research and observation, studies the 
animal in its native haunts, finds out what it does, how it does it, when it 
does it, and why it does it; observes its habits, its food, its enemies, the 
localities where it is found, and its geographical distribution over the world. 
To the special training and intimate knowledge of science necessary for the 
prosecution of the work of the cabinet naturalist, I lay no claim whatever, 
and therefore on that side of the subject, I shall have little to say. I may 
mention, however, that through the kindness of Captain Hutton, speci- 
mens of these spiders have been sent to the Rev. P. Cambridge, the 
greatest living authority on spiders in England, and no doubt, in due time, 
we shall have exact descriptions of each ofthem, and their precise species and 
places in their family assigned to them. Any original remarks I may have 
to make to-night, refer entirely to the other side of Natural History, and I 
have only to express my regret, that my opportunities for observing these 
animals during the two years since I first discovered them, have been so 
few and scattered, that it is with hesitation I bring this paper before you. 
It has, however, been pointed out to me, that by making known what little 
I have observed, it may be the means of inciting others more favourably 
situated to take notice of, and record what they do observe of their habits 
and skill, and so instead of one observer working at the subject through a 
long course of years, we may have the recorded observations of a dozen 
individuals in different localities available for the study of the cabinet 
naturalist, in a very short space of time. 
The great Order Aranee or true spiders, have been divided into seven 
sub-orders ; of these, the fourth, or Territelariz, is the one with which we 
have now todo. The Territelarie are easily recognised by any one, even 
apart from their nests. Their falces (mandibles or fangs as they are com- 
monly called, work vertically downwards and are parallel. In other spiders 
they work horizontally, and cross each other like nippers. They have also 
four whitish spots or blotches on the under side of the abdomen, near its 
junction with the sternum, which are supposed to be branchial tubes, whilst 
‘other spiders have only two. The specimens now exhibited, clearly show 
both these characteristics. 
How first found. 
It may be interesting to note how my attention was first drawn to the 
subject. My discovery of their existence in Otago was purely accidental. 
Rather more than two years ago, I was riding slowly through an English 
grass paddock, near Oamaru, when, on a bare patch of ground, my eye 
accidentally rested upon a very large spider. Attracted by its size, I kept 
steadily looking at it, when suddenly, as if by magic, it disappeared. I got 
