THE MOA IN AUSTRALIA. IOI 



alone have escaped to an eminence of the sinking surface, or alone 

 been introduced into the insulated land, or alone survived some 

 change in its life conditions fatal to the rest"? The Moa in New 

 Zealand is the question that calls for an explanation, and in proof 

 that it does call for an explanation and is not to be dismissed as a 

 voiceless phantasy, we point to Dromornis followed (structurally) by 

 Dinornis in Australia, and we wait for its solution in the work of 

 New Zealand's naturalists. 



FURTHER NOTES ON NEMESIA GILLIESII. 



The interesting notes by Mr. E. M. Laing " On the occurrence 

 of the Trap-door Spider at Lyttelton," which appeared in the March 

 number of this Journal, add considerably to our knowledge of the 

 habits, economy, and distribution of the species. As it is not 

 uncommon here about the terraces and river flats, and in neglected 

 gardens, it certainly coincides with Mr. Laing's remark that the 

 spider " seems to be much more widely distributed than was at first 

 presumed." A few years ago I examined numbers of their nests in 

 the Waiareka valley, near Oamaru, the locality, I believe, where the 

 original specimens were obtained, but all the specimens and their 

 nests that T have observed here, are much smaller than those occur- 

 ring near Oamaru. The various habitats and positions of the nests 

 observed by Mr. Laing at Lyttelton, would apply hi most instances 

 here, but I observe that the lining or web, covering the walls of the 

 nests, varies greatly in texture according to the loose or binding 

 nature of the soil in which they occur. When the nests are con- 

 structed in fine sandy soil they are frequently lined with a thick 

 white web, which doubtless prevents the nests from caving in, and 

 probably affords warmth and makes them more impervious to wet. 

 In this district they are found commonly in the open among low 

 herbage growing on the river flats, and on the slopes of the terraces 

 at various grades, but in the Waiareka valley, Oamaru, I found them 

 more numerous in a long belt of gum trees than on the open downs. 

 This was probably due to the ground not being disturbed by the 

 plough, or by sheep and cattle depasturing on it, as well as its forming 

 the chief haunt of nocturnal insects in a district where the native 

 vegetation is very scant. 



■' Mr. Laing's remarks on the structure of the trap-doors, and the 

 difficulty of detecting them in some situations, would appear to 

 indicate the presence of mimetic resemblances, yet under certain 

 conditions the nests are at times very easily detected. For instance, 

 when any nests occurring on bare ground and that are more or less 

 covered with fine loose earth have the trap-doors moved on damp 

 nights or after rain, the first sunshine afterwards soon dries the fine 

 loose soil covering the doors, and leaves conspicuous rings or circular 

 patches of dry soil over and around them. Such indications of the 



