Gillies. — TJcscription of Trap-duor Spidtv.i Xesls. 305 



it measures fouv-aud-a-lialf-tentlis, aud the space or ring between the inside 

 and outside is bevelled slightly. The inside of the lid or tra^D-door is level, 

 or nearly so, with the hinge, the thickening being entirely on the upi^er or 

 outside of the lid. The outside edge of the lid is thin aud overlaps the 

 outside mouth of the nest like a fringe, the portion of the under side of the 

 lid which corresponds to the bevelled or counter-sunk part of the mouth of 

 the nest being depressed a little (fig. 11). The centre of the under side of 

 the lid fitting on to the actual hole in the mouth of the nest protrudes a 

 little into the nest, the whole arrangement being exactly the same as a 

 water-tight valve covered with leather. The lid is therefore not a cork one, 

 and does not go into the mouth of the nest at all, being large, but fits like 

 a cap or Scotch bonnet. Nor, on the other hand, can it be said to belong to 

 the other or wafer type of lid, as though it thins to an edge all round it 

 thickens to the centre very symmetrically till it is at least two-tenths of an 

 inch thick at the thickest part. The outside contour of the lid is rounded 

 off, but at least four or five old lids can be detected, giving it a tiled appear- 

 ance like an oyster (fig. 10). The hinge, which is large for the size of the 

 nest (four-tenths of an inch) is attached to the outside edge of the bevelled 

 part of the mouth of the nest (fig. 12). The inside of the lid and nest is 

 covered with tough lining ; the outside of the lid has simply the soil 

 cemented together by threads, forming a thin covering, and remains of some 

 mosses or lichens are still visible on it. The mouth of the nest and the lid 

 is raised half-an-inch above the surrounding ground, and another smaller 

 nest three-tenths of an inch wide, and also raised above the ground, is in 

 the same sod within an inch of it. The lid, however, of the small one is 

 gone, and the whole sod is only an inch and a-half deep, so that there is only 

 a portion of the nest, and nothing can be said as to its former length. 



Nest No. 2 is of the same type as No. 1, the outside of the mouth being 

 six-tenths across, inside four-and-a-half tenths, whilst the lid is seven- 

 tenths. The mouth is raised above the ground, the hning being very tough 

 and thick, and overlaps the ground a little, causing the appearance of a 

 . bevelled mouth. The lid is flat below, and overlaps the mouth slightly, 

 forming a fringe. There is a de^Dression all round the inside of the lid 

 where it fits on to the mouth of the nest (fig. 13). The lid is thickened 

 entii-ely on the outside, but, in contrast to the other, is as thick at the edges 

 as elsewhere (fig. 14, fi-ont view), giving it a very odd but finished appear- 

 ance. At the hinge area it is a little thinner than elsewhere (fig. 15, side 

 view). The hinge is attached to the outer edge of the lining of the mouth, 

 and is large for the size of the nest, being five-and-a-half-tenths. It differs 

 from all others that I have seen in this : that it does not follow the 

 round of the mouth, but is extended out at each edge beyond the circle 



n1 



