50 ON A SPIDER INHABITING COAL MINES. 
Would it not be an interesting problem to solve whether, after 
the total absence of light for several generations, as it must fre- 
quently happen, their eyes still retain the same faculty of trans- 
mitting the image of objects to the retina, as they possessed before 
their conversion into miners; or whether their apparent commotion 
derives its origin from some other sense than that of sight ? 
But, pour revenir & nos moutons, I boxed two or three specimens 
that night, one of which I sent next day through post to Mr. 
H. T. Stainton, Mountsfield, Lewisham, who, I may perhaps 
here be allowed to say, deserves the warmest thanks of every 
entomologist, tyro or adept, for the readiness and kindness with 
which he invariably renders assistance to all engaged in that 
science, requesting him to let me know if it was a common spider, 
as I was not an arachnologist myself; by him it was forwarded 
to Mr. R. H. Meade, F. R. S., Bradford. In reply to Mr. 
Stainton, that gentleman wrote, that, owing to the dried up and 
shrivelled condition of the specimen, it was impossible for him 
to determine more than the generic name (neriene); he also added 
that it seemed improbable that so small a spider could construct 
such large masses of web, supposing them to be the production 
of a spider at all, but which question might easily be settled by 
microscopical examination. 
I procured other living specimens, and a small portion of the 
web, which I forwarded direct to Mr. Meade, at the same time 
acquainting him with the facts I had then noticed in reference to 
the spiders, and my reasons for believing the webs to be of their 
construction; to which he kindly replied, that the only specimen 
which had reached him alive resembled very closely one named 
Neriene errans, adding, ‘There is no doubt about the web being 
the genuine production of spiders, and it contains numerous scales 
from the wings of small moths entangled between its fibres.” 
Another larger portion was also decided by him to be genuine 
spiders’ web, and other specimens established the identity of the 
insect with NV. evrans.* 
* Mr. Meade has obliged me with the following description = 
Neriene errans, var. subterranea. Cephalo-thorace appendicibus brunneis, nisi in pedibus 
palpisque pallide rufo-brunneis ; abdomine obscure viridescenti-brunneo serie mediana 
obscura linearum angularium flavescenti-brunnea— Long. }th of an inch. 
