258 _ Transactions. —Zoology. 
tinct instances of this in two different places were observed by myself in 
which the refuse food remains of insects, and the animal matter so usually 
found at the bottom of the nest, were all tumbled out over the bank of clay 
excavation in front of the holes, and in both cases they were great heaps, 
and also in both cases, when I dug out the nests, the bottoms were found 
clean, and no refuse in them. 
It is, I think, quite likely that the time of year, and the presence, or 
otherwise, of young ones has something to do with the deposits of refuse 
food inside the nests. Moggridge’s observations seem to have been made 
in October (corresponding to our April) whereas mine, on this point, were 
mostly made in November. At that time of the year, in the Oamaru dis- 
trict, I am safe in saying that I found lots of refuse in every nest. 
Food and enemies. 
As to the mode of capture of their prey employed by the Trap-door 
Spider, I have no doubt Erber’s observations, in this respect, are correct, 
and that a snare is constructed on the ground in front of the nest, from 
which the wily spider pounces out upon the unlucky insect, which gets 
caught in the meshes of its net. I haye never actually seen this snare, but 
in the mornings have seen traces of it remaining, and should not have 
known what they were, without Erber’s interesting description. I do not 
think that in New Zealand, on the open grass-covered terraces of the 
Oamaru district, the Trap-door Spider has any very extensive choice in the 
way of food. If it lives exclusively on animal food, and I suppose it does, 
the Fauna of such a district do not present very great variety, nor are they 
yery abundant. The insect life is certainly the most abundant, or rather, I 
should say, almost the only wild life, but at best, it is very meagre, as com- 
pared with most other countries, or even with most other parts of New 
Zealand. Beetles, Moths, Dragon Flies, Grasshoppers, Spiders, Cater- 
pillars, a few Butterflies, and a very few small Ants, comprise about the 
only insects noticeable to unscientific eyes, and no doubt from this very 
limited and simple bill of fare, our friend the Trap-door Spider makes his 
choice, as I haye no doubt he is more than master of them all. Of the 
enemies which he has to fear, I know of none that could touch him, except 
Wekas, which are very scarce now, however, lizards, and a few small birds, 
such as Sand Larks. As to monkeys, squirrels, and several kinds of birds, 
as well as tortoises, frogs, toads, and centipedes, all which, M. de 
Walckenaer states, prey upon these spiders, there are absolutely none of 
m. 
Exeeptional forms, Forked Nests. 
I must now briefly refer to one or two exceptional forms of nest, and, as 
connected with the subject of food, I will refer, first, to the nest, a section of 
