62 ARACHNOIDEA. 



CASE make these nests, and the young ones, which are the most 

 numerous, seldom go deeper than a couple of inches below the 

 surface, and thus although the mechanism and structure of the 

 nest is not far to seek when the entrance is once found, the 

 dimensions are so small as greatly to increase the difficulty of 

 finding them out. We have had the advantage of an explanation 

 of the mode of procedure adopted by the late Mr. Moggridge 

 from his father, now in England, himself an adept not less 

 skilled in observing them than his talented and lamented son ; 

 and we do not think that we can better illustrate it, than by 

 repeating a little anecdote told us by that gentleman. — It 

 appears that not long since, Mr. Moggridge and one of his 

 sons had occasion to visit Marseilles. Familiar as they were 

 with the appearance of ground that was likely to be inhabited 

 by trap-door spiders, it appeared to them that the neighbour- 

 hood of Marseilles looked a likely place in which to find 

 them. Consequently, one of their first enquiries of the Ento- 

 mological Curator of the museum there, to which they naturally 

 paid an early visit, was whether trap-door spiders were found 

 in the neighbourhood. The Curator replied that he thought he 

 might confidently answer that they were not, for he had taken 

 much interest in them, and had devoted a great deal of time to 

 seeking for them without success. Mr. Moggridge said nothing 

 in reply, but when they left the museum he said to his son, " Now 

 let us go and try what we can do." They agreed to take different 

 routes, so as to go over most ground, and separated on their 

 search. Now it is plain that if these nests were scattered indif- 

 ferently over the ground, a search for them would be a very hap- 

 hazard affair, but there happen to be two circumstances which 

 do not leave the searcher absolutely without a guide. In the 

 first place they do not make their nests on the level ground, or if 

 they do, the difficulty of finding them there has not hitherto been 

 overcome ; but on the sides of earthen banks, like the banks 

 on each side of a deep worn road or lane, which constant use has 



