THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



89 



wide, and 12 ft. high, the opening being due north, and the shape very irregular. 

 On excavating through the successive clayey deposits that formed the floor, they 

 found the site of an ancient fire, quantities of wood-ashes, fragments of bone, worked 

 flints, flint arrow-heads, &c, all clear! v showing that in former times the place had 

 been used as a habitation. Mr. E. D. Marquand next read some notes on the results 

 of microscopical examinations which he had made on various samples of clay from 

 different parts of the island, furnished to him by Mr. Derrick. These notes were 

 full of interest, and showed the absence of diatoms or other organic remains in the 

 clay. — W. Sharp, Hon. Secretary. 



Epeira quadrata. — The snare and nest (or domicile) of this spider 

 are to be found in abundance on heathy commons during the latter 

 part of September and earlier half of October when the spiders are adult. 



The former is large and composed of strong threads stretched from 

 a low furze bush or other shrub and is of the usual epeiroid form, 

 namely, wheel-shaped (orbicular) and vertical. It is rendered more 

 noticeable on account of the bees and flies which are trussed up in 

 white silk and hung in the web, for these catch the eye readily, when 

 the snare often fails to do so. 



The nest or domicile consists of a large semi-sperical, tent-like 

 structure opening mouth downwards, spun up amongst the heather 

 and furze-bushes. Often, too, the nest is prettily bowered over with 

 grassy bents and its white silken roof inwoven with leafy fragments so 

 as to be almost completely concealed from view. 



During the warm, sunny, October afternoons, last year, close to 

 this town, numbers of adult males were to be seen wandering about 

 on the heather in the vicinity of the webs of the gentler (?) sex. Some 

 had got hold of the main lines and were telegraphing by a curious 

 system of long and short pulls, understanded only of themselves, all 

 manner of messages of love. 



The doubtlessly prepaid reply-pulls must settle down to a fairly 

 regular series of short but gentle vibrations before Romeo will venture 

 to draw up overagainst his Juliet. Should Juliet give a sudden 

 spasmodic pull or two, Romeo ' skedaddles ' till his Epeira-love has 

 somewhat modified her messages. 



A little later in the month the large compressed-spheroidal egg- 

 cocoon, woven of coarse bright-yellow silk may be found spun up 

 amongst the heather stems. 



Should Mr. Stott wish for any further information I shall be happy 

 to accommodate him if I am able. — Rev. F. O. P. Cambridge, 5, 

 Henry Street, Carlisle. 



Natural History appears to be very popular in the parish of Hack- 

 ney. Not only is the latter the head-quarters of the North London 

 Entomological and Natural History Society, but a column on the 

 subject has been introduced in the Mercury — a bright, healthy-toned 

 weekly newspaper, devoted chiefly to the interests of Hackney, 

 Homerton, Canonbury, &c. The Editor is Mr. J. Stephenson, a son, if 

 we recollect rightly, of the author of a work on the Birds of Norfolk. 



