A BIRD'S NBST, AND OTHER ANIMAL HOMES 41 



door with it, thus making it very conspicuous in the 

 cleared ground space. The spider's instinct was not ca- 

 pable of that quick modification to allow it to do what a 

 reasoning animal would 

 have done — namely, to 

 cover the trap-door only 

 with soil to make it 

 resemble the cleared 

 ground about it. 



Another interesting 

 species is the turret- 

 spider, that builds up a 

 little tower of sticks and 

 soil and moss above its 

 burrow (fig. 25). The 

 sticks are an inch or two 

 in length, fastened to- 

 gether with silk and so 

 arranged as to make a 

 five-sided turret two or 

 three inches high. This 

 turret - building spider 

 carries about its egg- 

 cocoon. A female of this 



,. ■. Fig. 24. — Burrow of trap-door spider 



species m captivity was ^^^ „p,„ ^ show interior, (One-half 

 observed to pay much natural size; from specimen.) 



attention to caring for the cocoon. " If the weather 

 was cold or damp she retired to her tunnel ; but if 

 the jar in which she lived was set where the sun could 

 shine upon it she soon reappeared and allowed the 

 cocoon to bask in the sunlight. If the jar was placed 

 near a stove that had a fire in it the cocoon was put on 

 the side next the source of warmth ; if the jar was turned 

 around she lost no time in moving the cocoon to the 

 warmer side. Two months after the eggs were laid the 



