50 



THE EDINBURGH JOURNAL OF NATURAL HISTORY, 



diminish as they recede, and are lost in the innumerable chambers and 

 nurseries behind them. The great interior area supplies heated air all 

 around. There are also great subterranean passages and galleries lined 

 with the same thick clay, which ascend the outward shell in a spiral 

 manner, opening into the dome, new turrets, &c. These sloping de- 

 scents reach a depth of three or four perpendicular feet, and from them 

 is procured the clay, which, being worked in the mouths of these ani- 

 mals, becomes almost as hard as stone. In this way the cities spread 

 to a vast extent, so that, if you destroy all the nests within 100 yards of 

 your dwelling, the inhabitants of those unmolested farther ofi' will never- 

 theless carry on their subterranean galleries, and will invade you by sap 



and mine, so doing great mischief to your goods and property {From 



Winterbottom's Native Africans.') 



ON THE NESTS AND HABITS OF THE MASON-SPIDER. 



Having lately had an opportunity of examining the contents of a small 

 box which contained specimens of Mason- Spiders and their nests, trans- 

 mitted from Western Africa to the eminent keeper of the Museum of the 

 Edinburgh University, we shall here supply a few remarks concerning 

 these interesting objects. A label was attached, " Living Insects," a 

 statement which, however true when the box was closed, was belied 

 when it was opened. The examination was entrusted to the skill of 

 some celebrated Entomologists, whose first object was to deposit their 

 charge under the most favourable circumstances in a hot-house ; they 

 then supplied some living prey to the long confined animals, introducing 

 several flies within the trap-door of the nest, but finding, as they anti- 

 cipated, that no rancorous enemy devoured them, after a few days 

 they proceeded to a more minute examination. The nests were two in 

 number, the one much larger than the other. From the former the lid 

 had been removed, whilst in the smaller it appeared in great beauty and 

 perfection. Two spiders were also found, the smaller much decayed and 

 injured, whilst the larger is yet reserved for more minute examination. 

 Along with these, many fragments of flies were discovered, some of which 

 had probably been introduced as food, but they were now so mutilated 

 that their specific characters could not be ascertained. Both the spider 

 and nests are rare and admirable specimens for the curious inquirer. 



It is now upwards of eighty years since the existence of these interest- 

 ing animals was brought under the notice of Naturalists by the Abbe 

 Sauvages, in his account to the French Academy of Sciences, (see Hist, 

 del' Acad. Roy. des Sciences, 1758;) whilst M. Dorthes, another French 

 Naturalist, and a Foreign Member of the Linnsean Society, in the year 

 1792, along with additional particulars as to their habits, published an 

 exact representation of the animal. The same animal, (caementaria,) 

 together with its nest, is figured, and a short account given in the 

 "Volume, "Insect Architecture," of the Library of Entertaining Know- 

 ledge. The best and most recent account of the Spider, however, is 

 that of M. Audo'uin, conta'i ed in the Annals of the French Entomo- 

 logical Society. The name of the modern genus is Cteniza. One spe- 

 cies occurs in the island of Naxos, (C. ariana,) another in Jamaica, (C. 

 nidulaus,) which, along with its nest, is figured by Mr Kirby in his 

 Bridgewater Treatise ; a third at Montpelier, (C. caementaria,) a fourth, 

 (_Sauvagesi,) in Corsica, and a fifth, in various parts of New South Wales, 

 is described by Mr Bennet in his Wanderings, (Vol. I. 328.) As the 

 habitat of our specimen was so different from that of the foregoing, it is 

 probably a new species, though it bears a close resemblance to the 

 caementaria. 



The following are a few extracts from Sauvages' account : — This Spider 

 usually selects for her nest a place bare of grass, sloping in such a manner 

 as to carry off the water from the roof, and on a firm soil, without rocks 

 or small stones. She digs a gallery a foot or two in depth, and of a dia- 

 meter, equal throughout, sufficient to admit of her easily passing. She 

 lines this with a tapestry of silk, glued to the walls. The door, which 

 is circular, is constructed of many layers of earth kneaded and bound 

 together with silk. Externally it is flat and rough, corresponding to the 

 soil around the entrance, for the purpose, no doubt, of concealment : in 

 the inside it is convex, and tapestried thickly with a web of fine silk. 

 The threads of this door tapestry are prolonged, and strongly attached 

 to the entrance, forming an excellent hinge, which, when pushed open 

 by the Spider, shuts again by its own weight. When the Abbe first dis- 

 covered the nest, he attempted to open the trap-door with a pin, and 

 was surprised at the opposition he experienced, and which he speedily 

 ascertained arose from the efforts of the active inmate. When he at 

 length so far overcame it, and peeped within, he perceived the little crea- 

 ture placed in that attitude, which was of all others the most favourable 

 for effecting its object. Hence, it always closed the door as often as the 

 Abbe opened it, and so the combat continued for a long time. When 

 the Spider was at last overcome, it immediately darted to the bottom of 

 the nest. 



M. Dufour, another Frenchman, who has written on the subject, 



thinks that it is the female alone which constructs nests, the males, ac- 

 cording to him, being usually found under stones. But in this assertion 

 he seems to have overlooked the statement of M. Dorthes. " I have 

 often," says this gentleman, " found the male and female in the same 

 habitation, with about thirty little ones. This shows that this species 

 is more social than many of its congeners, which mutually devour each 

 other. If, however, a number of these Mason- Spiders are put into one 

 vessel, and without food, they speedily attack and devour each other. 

 It is only during the night," lie adds, "that they hunt their prey, and 

 construct their abode. If you fix with a pin the lid of their dwelling, 

 you next morning find that they have opened a new door during the 

 night ; and if you remove the door altogether, you will find a new one 

 next morning upon precisely the same position." 



ON THE SPECIES AND HABITS OF THE VAULTING LEMDR, (g ALEOPITHECUS.) 



Frequent allusion has lately been made in this Journal to that singular 

 animal, the Vaulting Lemur, which, about the size of a cat, is supplied 

 with an investing membrane, springing from under the chin, extending 

 down the arms to the fingers, thence along the sides to the toes, and ter- 

 minating at the end of the tail, thus forming a parachute, whereby it takes 

 enormous leaps. About six months ago we had occasion to describe it in 

 the Animal Kingdom, (Vol. II. p. 2,) and, from the writings of Pallas, Aude- 

 bert, Geoffroy, and others, supplied the most accurate information that 

 has hitherto been collected. We stated that one species, the Red, (G. 

 rufus,) was pretty well known, and classed other two as doubtful spe- 

 cies. It would appear (Proceedings Zoological Society, 1838, p. 119) 

 that during the last session, Mr Waterhouse, Secretary to the Zoological 

 Society, laid upon its table several specimens of this animal, with the 

 object of noticing certain characters which appeared to him to indicate 

 the existence of two species. One is larger than the other, measuring 

 about two feet in total length, the cranium extending to eleven and a 

 half inches. The anterior incisor of the upper jaw is broad, and divided 

 by two notches, into three distinct lobes ; the next incisor, on each side, 

 has its anterior and posterior margins notched ; and the first molar (oc- 

 cupying the situation of the canine) has its posterior edge distinctly 

 notched. This tooth is separated by a narrow space anteriorly and pos- 

 teriorly, from the incisor in front, and the next molar behind ; the tem- 

 poral ridges converge towards the occiput, near which, however, they 

 are separated usually by a space of about four lines. The other species 

 is usually about twenty inches in length, with the skull 2" 7'" in length. 

 It has proportionally larger ears and longer hands ; the cranium is nar- 

 rower in proportion to its length ; the muzzle is broader and more ob- 

 tuse ; the orbit smaller; the temporal ridges generally meet near the 

 occiput, or are separated by a very narrow space ; the anterior incisor of 

 the upper jaw is narrow, and has but one notch ; the next, on either 

 side, is considerably larger, longer, and stronger, and differs in having its 

 edges even, as is true of the first false molar. All the teeth form a con- 

 tinuous series, each tooth being in contact with that which precedes and 

 that which follows it. The most important difference, perhaps, consists 

 in the much larger size of the molar teeth in the smaller skull, the five 

 posterior molars occupying a space of 1 0'" in length in the latter, whereas, 

 in the larger animal, they only occupy nine. 



These statements are important, and, more satisfactorily than any that 

 have hitherto been presented, appear to indicate specific differences. 

 We submit them to such of our readers as may have an opportunity of 

 testin<* them. Mr W. proposes the names Temminckii and Phillipinensis 

 for the two species, acting herein not so discreetly, we humbly conceive, 

 as he mi<dit have done. For what, in that case, is to become of the G. 

 rufuTof Audebert, Geoffroy, Desmarest, and the whole host of systematic 

 writers? Surely it is not to be blotted from our catalogues, or degraded 

 from the place it has so long and familiarly occupied. 



The same gentleman, at a previous meeting of the same excellent 

 Society, supplied from the notes of Mr Cuming some details concerning 

 the habits of these animals, which we subjoin. The Caguang, to employ 

 a native name, is an inoffensive animal, inhabiting lofty trees in dark 

 woods, and is known to feed upon the leaves of the Nanka or Jack fruit ; 

 it suspends itself from the upper branches of the tree by all its feet, which 

 gives it a large appearance, as it brings them all four together. It flies 

 heavily for about 100 yards on an inclined plane, but readily ascends the 

 trees by its strong claws ; it makes a weak noise similar to geese when at 

 rest : when the calls of nature operate on the animal, it erects its tail and 

 membrane up to the back part of the neck, which gives it amost singular 

 appearance. They are easily taken by the natives throwing nets over 

 them, or by cutting down the tree on which they are, and are seized before 

 they can clear themselves of the branches. I never saw any of them at- 

 tempt to bite. When the female has young she is very easily taken. 

 They appear much attached to their young, which are always hanging at 

 the breasts. Of late years great numbers of them have been taken for 



