4074 Arachnida. 



the thatch of a stack of barley. The old bird was sitting on thirteen eggs when it 

 was discovered, and would doubtless have hatched her young, had it not been neces- 

 sary to remove the stack before that devoutly-to-be-wished-for consummation had ar- 

 rived. — Alfred Newton ; Elveden Hall, Thetford, September 1, 1853. 



Correction of a previous Error respecting the Masked Gull, (Larus capistratus). — 

 In a note some time ago (Zool. 2825), I recorded the occurrence of a specimen of the 

 masked gull on the river Dart. I had, during the past summer, an opportunity of 

 examining this identical bird, which is now in the Museum of the Torquay Natural 

 History Society, and I have no hesitation in saying that it is a specimen of the black- 

 headed gull, (Larus ridibundus). Whether the masked gull is, or is not, a species, is 

 a question T am not able to enter upon ; but this is evident, that nothing is more likely 

 to bring discredit on the existence of such a bird, than a mistake like that which I 

 have unfortunately made. — Id. 



Additional Note on the Spider that lived Twelve Months without Food. — From the 

 date of the article quoted in a former number (Zool. 3883), namely, October 6, 1852, 

 up to the month of May, 1853, the habits of this spider were very similar to those al- 

 ready described ; towards the end of that month, however, he began to wander about 

 very much. These wanderings were performed exclusively on the back, top, and sides 

 of the box, and never on the bottom or on the birds, so far at least as could be seen by 

 myself or any of my household, who were a goodly number, and always on the alert. 

 About the middle of July his peregrinations became more frequent, and more pro- 

 tracted, he being absent for days together from his accustomed nook ; his whole man- 

 ner too became altered, and his appearance a good deal changed for the worse. The 

 birds were now taken out of the case, in order that his movements might be the better 

 observed. Kestless, seemingly much agitated, and doubtless pressed by hunger, he 

 would often wander for hours and days together, up and down, and to and fro on the 

 back and sides of his prison-walls. Every day bore testimony to his increasing weak- 

 ness and his approaching end. Being now unable to support his own weight, he was 

 several times observed to fall from various heights to the bottom of the case ; and on 

 such occasions he was frequently unable to reascend for some considerable time there- 

 after. On looking into the case on the morning of the 3rd instant, I was not a little 

 surprised to find that my prisoner had disappeared. See him I could not, although 

 I scanned the whole box over and over again : all hands and all eyes were summoned, 

 and though each had his turn, no one could find the little fellow. I may here men- 

 tion that the bottom of the box, having been fitted up to hold sea-birds, has a rough 

 covering, so as to resemble a rocky surface, and it was thought that the object of our 

 search had fallen behind one of the stony projections, where he had died. However, 

 on the evening of the 7th he was again seen slowly wending his way up the back of 

 the box, and once more regained his lonely abode in the corner. On the 9th he was 

 again lost sight of until the 11th, when he once more made his appearance. On the 

 14th he was again seen to leave his home, to which he never returned : having gained 

 the extremity of his net, he was observed to fall to the bottom of the case, and though 

 he made several attempts, he was quite unable to reascend. Fatigued and worn out by 

 his endeavours to get up, he was finally observed to creep behind one of the rocky pro- 

 jections already alluded to, where, on the morning of the 25th inst., he was found dead 



