Annals of the Transvaal Museum. 
227 
Pelmatorycter nudus Hewivt. 
Locality : Little Wonderboom, Magaliesberg. 
The male was discovered on the under surface of a stone which was 
turned over in a search for nests on the dry northern slopes of the 
Magaliesberg. No nests were found under this stone, but a female was 
discovered a few days later, not far off, under another stone ; the nest of 
this female was situated in soft earth, mixed with pebbles ; the lid was 
in the form of a hood, without a distinct hinge, being joined to the rim of 
the tube on all sides but the front, over which it folded down ; the nest 
when open looked like a curved pipe, the opening facing parallel to the 
ground and the curve representing the top of the real tube. From the 
surface of the ground, the tube was vertical to the bottom of the nest ; 
but an inch or so from the entrance a second tube branched upwards, but 
had no outlet, the top part being closed up. The nest was, roughly, 
Y-shaped. This is the common shape of nest of numerous specimens 
taken in all parts of the country, but which could not be identified owing 
to males not having been secured. The nests taken at Wonderboompoort 
did not differ materially from the above, but were situated in banks amongst 
rocks in the “ poort ” itself, where the ground was moister. 
Measurements of nests taken in Wonderboom, 2nd March, 1916 : — 
Depth of tube 120 mm. 
Width at the entrance (inside edge of rim) 6J mm. 
Length of second tube .. 20 mm. 
Distance of second tube from the entrance 23 mm. 
Breadth of lid 6J mm. 
Length of lid (front to back) 8J- mm. 
Thickness of lid J mm. 
Pelmatorycter pretoriae Hewitt. 
Localities : Between Lyttelton Junction and Irene, Mayville, Pretoria 
North, Wonderboompoort, Skinner’s Court, between Yillieria and 
Derdepoort, Roodeplaat, Zeekoegat, and Schoemansrust, Pretoria 
District. 
Nests of this species were always readily recognized by the peculiarity 
of the entrance. The lids are of the “ wafer ” type, flat and thin, placed 
level with the ground ; the first part of the tube penetrates the ground 
obliquely just below the surface for nearly 3 inches, and then drops down 
vertically to a depth of about 12 to 15 inches. The hinge of the lid is 
broad, occupying about a fourth of the edge and almost straight, so that 
only the free edge is circular. Sometimes a short chamber with a lid was 
found at the side near the bottom of the nest, and when this was present, 
the spider was found to have taken refuge in it. The nests were found 
mostly in hard open ground ; but some were found in the grass, and 
probably this is a common situation, but the nests are then not easily 
located. 
