Arachnida. 5067 



cells goes, I think, a great way to prove that they are nocturnal feeders ; and I would, 

 with all due deference, suggest that some one of your correspondents should endeavour 

 to clear up this point, which might, I think, be done at the sacrifice of a night's rest 

 (no great matter to a truly zealous naturalist), by visiting the haunts of these wonder- 

 ful spiders by night, with a dark lantern, which being suddenly opened some might 

 possibly be discovered wandering, or foraging, in the vicinity of their cells, their re- 

 treat to which might be intercepted. Domiciliary inspections might then be made, 

 and, should the greater number prove untenanted, we should then have good reason 

 for believing that they are nocturnal in their habits (as one of Mr. Newman's cor- 

 respondents supposes them to be), and may possibly leave their house-door open, 

 which would be a great saving of labour ; but, if there is the least elasticity in the 

 web, the rent or opening need not be very large. If the Atypus are not found to fre- 

 quent their subterraneous dwellings during summer, is it not possible that they pass 

 the winter in a torpid state? if so, this would at once account for there being no re- 

 mains of insects found in their cells, — also for their rather mysterious self-imprison- 

 ment. As to the worm found in one nest, it may have been, and probably was, 

 accidental ; for it seems very improbable that the spider's means of subsistence, not to 

 say its very existence, should be left to mere chance, i. e. to be made to depend on the 

 accidental passage of a worm through its cell, which is said to be only i or f of an 

 inch in diameter. It may be remarked that the common spider has in a great mea- 

 sure to trust to chance for its supply of food: this is true enough, but the chances are 

 so much in its favour that they amount almost to a certainty, whereas in the case of 

 the Atypus nothing could well be more uncertain. For the above reasons I am in- 

 clined to think that the Atypus either comes forth to feed by night or passes the winter 

 in a torpid state.— H. W. Hadjield ; High Cliff, Isle of Wight, March 7, 1856. 



On the Preservation of Spiders, By R. H. Meade, Esq., F.R.C.S. 



In the < Zoologist' for December, 1852 (Zool. 3676), I published a 

 few observations upon the mode of forming and preserving a collection 

 of spiders, and I then recommended that the specimens should be put 

 up in small glass tubes filled with spirits of wine. Further experience 

 has shown that this plan is open to this great objection, that unless 

 frequent attention is paid to the collection the specimens become 

 spoiled by the evaporation of the spirit, which finds its way through 

 both corks and sealing-wax, the latter being rendered quite soft by 

 the vapour. Being desirous to overcome this difficulty, I made seve- 

 ral experiments with different fluids, for the purpose of finding a 

 liquid that would preserve the form, consistence and colours of the 

 spiders, without undergoing decomposition or evaporating rapidly. 



Among other mixtures I tried Goldby's Fluid, but found that the 



