118 
BLUEFIELDS. 
hold for the Spider’s claws, when she would keep her 
door shut against the efforts of an enemy ; for what 
would be the use of having them in the tube, close to 
the lidi so close that not the eighth of an inch inter- 
venes between the series of the lid and that of the 
tube, when the former is tightly closed ? I would 
suggest whether they may not be air-holes ; for so 
tight is the fitting of the lid, and so compact the 
texture of the material, that I should suppose the 
interior would he impermeable to air, but for this 
contrivance. And as those in the horizontal lid might 
possibly be closed by minute particles of earth rolling 
on it, the second row around the edge of the per- 
pendicular tube, just at the surface of the ground, 
would still be available in such a contingency. They 
may admit also an appreciable amount of light. On 
viewing such a structure, with its beautiful contriv- 
ances for security and comfort, we may well say with 
the Psalmist, “ O Lord, how manifold are Thy works ! 
in wisdom hast Thou made them all.” 
The Spider that inhabits this nest is black, with 
the thorax of an exceedingly lustrous polish ; its ab- 
domen is full and round, its legs very short. It 
retreats on alarm to the bottom of its tube, whence 
it is very reluctant to be dragged ; and when ex- 
posed, seems inert and helpless. Yet it is much 
dreaded, its bite being reputed to cause tumefac- 
tion, and painful fever. 
TERMITES, OR DUCK-ANTS. 
In going only a few rods into the woods, a stranger 
cannot help observing many of the trees encompassed 
