1886. } A new Trap-door Spider. 591 
then spun a short bag of silk, 4 which was attached by the 
mouth to the walls of the tube at c, and rested on the piece of 
of cork. The mouth of the test tube was lined with silk from 
the edge for about 5™™ to 7™™- The ends of the silk lining at 4 
and the silk bag at c were for some distance transparent, so that 
I was enabled to see the spider fairly well. As can be seen in 
Fig. 4, the spider clings to the bag of silk at the bottom (or walls 
of the tube) with the claws of her two posterior pair of legs, and 
to the under surface of the door with her fangs and the claws of 
her anterior pair of legs. By partially lifting the door I was 
enabled to see the hold upon the door, and when I pushed the 
spider out of the tube, as before stated, I found her feet entangled 
in the bag of silk. The manner in which this spider holds down 
the door is precisely the same as that described by Emerton! in 
the case of Cteniza californica, except that he states the “ third 
and fourth pairs of legs are pressed out against the walls of the 
tube.” 
The nest of this spider belongs to the simple, unbranched type 
with shallow cork door. The door belonging to the nest in 
which the spider was caught (Plate xxiv, Fig. 1) measures 3 to 4™™ 
in thickness; the edge is beveled and fits neatly in the mouth of 
the tube. The door measures 25™" across near the hinge; the 
tube 60" in length. The walls are badly collapsed, and the 
lower edge ragged and open. It will be remembered that the 
spider was found in the earth below the tube when the nest was 
taken up in November. The first nest which the spider made 
under my observation was left open at the bottom, and when I 
the tube. The question naturally arises, Is this not left open as 
is, in some cases at least with this species, as this is the only 
needed on this point. 
Rey 1 
-o Structure and Habits of Spiders, p. 45- 
attempted to take her out, finding she could not hold down the i 
door, she attempted to bury herself in the soil at the bottom of 
a last means of escape from enemies? I am inclined to think it- 
Tesort for safety after- the door is open. Further observation is- 
_ The trap door of this nest is so hung that it tends to close 
itself. In Fig. 2, Plate xx1v, at æ are patches of silk that are drawn 
On the stretch when the door is open. When all resistance is _ 
‘moved these tend to close the door. ra 
_ The subject of the food of trap-door spiders is an interesting- 
= 
eo 
