Annals or the Transvaal Museum. 
225 
Male. 
Depth of tube 45 mm. 
Width at the entrance inside edge of rim 8| X 6 mm. 
Normal width of tube 8 mm. from inside 
edge of rim 7 X 4f. 
Width at the widest part near the bottom 10 mm. 
Breadth of external lid 9 mm. 
Length of external lid (front to back).. . . 6J mm. 
Breadth of inner lid 8J mm. 
Length of inner lid (front to back) 5f mm. 
Thickness of external lid 1J mm. 
Thickness of inner lid J mm. 
Breadth of external hinge 8 mm. 
Width of attachment of inner to external 
lid 6J mm. 
Galeosoma robertsi Hewitt. 
Localities: Mayville, Wonderboompoort, New Muckleneuk, Pretoria College, 
Brooklyn, Garstfontein, Elandsfontein No. 35, Skinner’s Court, 
Hatfield, Rietfontein, near Crocodile River Bridge, Bon Accord 
Station. 
Nests of this species are always distinguishable from those of G. pilosum , 
side by side with which they are frequently found, by the lids being flattened 
and level with the ground, and never decorated with bits of grass. The 
tube at the entrance is of the same diameter as the shield of the spider, 
but soon widens out irregularly, sufficiently for the spider to turn. 
Sometimes the shield of the spider could be seen near the entrance, but 
more usually it could only be seen after the nest had been partly dug open ; 
as the digging operations proceeded, the spider dropped lower down until 
tightly wedged in at the bottom of the nest. Measurements are given 
hereunder, by which it will best be seen how the tube widens out and 
contracts. Despite the protection which is presumably afforded by the 
shield, dead specimens were often discovered at the bottom of the nest 
and sometimes also their common enemies, live centipedes, which had 
probably encompassed their death. The widening of the tube is usually 
situated about half-way down, but varies considerably, being sometimes 
quite close to the top and in others near the bottom ; usually the upper 
and the lower parts of the wider' portion bulge outwards gradually and 
not in the form of a bulb. Nests were found containing crawling young 
in March and April. 
The following measurements are taken from a typical nest from 
Mayville : — 
Depth of tube 115 mm. 
Width at the entrance (inside edge of rim) . . 10f X 10 mm. 
Width at the widest part of tube 15 mm. 
Width at the narrowest part of the tube 
(near the bottom) 7 mm. 
Breadth of the lid 11 mm. 
