Gituies.—On the Habits of the Trap-door Spider. 245 
these countries, but they do not apply to the Oamaru species, and it is 
somewhat interesting and useful to note such essential differences. 
Spider shamming death. 
Another matter in which my experience seems to differ from Mogeridge's, 
is in the spider being generally found in the bottom of her nest shamming 
death. He says (page 100) :—‘ More frequently when the spider finds that 
resistance is hopeless, and sees the earth crumbling in, she drops to the 
bottom of her nest and lies there helpless, with her legs folded against her 
body, like an embryonic creature; some, however, more savage than their 
neighbours, fly out and strike at the intruder with their fangs.” In only 
one case, spider No. 2, the occupant of nest No. 4, found at the stable 
corner, have I ever got the spider in the bottom of the hole as if dead. In 
all other cases, wherever the spider was got, it was lively and wide-awake, 
sometimes more savage than at other times; but always alert and on the 
defensive. 
Spider found in all parts of the nest. 
I agree with Costa that the spider does not remain at the bottom of her 
burrow, as related by Sauvage, Olivier, and Latreille ; but, on the other 
hand, I equally disagree with him when he says that ‘ she always stands 
at the door as sentinel,’ and that ‘‘ the light seems to offend her so much, 
that, if exposed to the full day, she remains so stupified as to appear dead, 
nor does she move even if shaken, but constantly stops still, and holds her- 
self with her feet pressed against her body.’’ On the contrary, I have 
found the spider at the door doing sentinel in the wide part of her nest, em- 
bracing her cocoon of eggs in any one of the bends at the bottom, and quite 
as often in one part of the nest as in another. 
Effect of light. 
Nor have I ever seen her stupified by the light, or appear as dead, ex- 
cept in the one case I have mentioned, and unless you teased her, say with 
a straw, when, after striking and fighting with the source of annoyance 
ineffectually, she would become as if exhausted, curl in her legs ‘ like an 
embryonic creature,” and not move for some time. No doubt the light must 
incommode her ; but it is not noticeable, as I have had specimens in the 
glare of the sunshine scores of times, and never could detect any difference 
in their actions from other times under a subdued light. 
Holding down Trap-door. 
But to whatever extent the Oamaru species may differ from others, in 
these minor details of their habits, there is no doubt about their being 
exactly the same in regard to what is, I think, the most wonderful thing in 
the habits of these animals, namely, that they have such a knowledge of 
the effects of mechanical resistance, as to apply it in the defence of their 
