NATURAL HISTORY NOTES. 
29 
out, taking advantage of every nook and cranny wherein they can 
hide, so as to avoid detection, and just as the entomologist makes a 
pounce upon one, it makes another effort to escape capture by running 
through the rank grass, when suddenly it stops in its rapid retreat, and 
actually turns hack! as if in seach for something, apparently having 
lost all desire to escape, moving slowly and carefully, when all at once 
it starts off again as if filled with new life, and as often as not succeeds 
in reaching a place of safety at the bottom of a thorny hedge. What 
is the cause of all these strange changes in its behaviour? The poor 
spider has not been running to save its own life only, but for the 
safety of its precious cocoon of eggs, and its sudden stop was caused by 
having its load rudely jerked from its grasp as it was running through 
the coarse grass, and then it was that it seemed to care so little for its 
own safety, but as soon as it had regained its treasure, then all its 
energy was renewed, and nothing would induce the spider to part with 
its cocoon. Such is a rough sketch of one of our indigenous spiders, 
to which family this big dead one belonged; it had, no doubt, 
been basking on the sides of an empty tea chest, when a “ Heathen 
Chinee” came along and emptied his load in, smothering the poor 
spider, which might have effected its escape had it not been 
encumbered by its load of eggs, no mean hindrance to its free move¬ 
ment when buried in the tea; but rather than loose its hold and 
escape, it, like the standard bearer, held on with the grasp of death. 
Surely we mortals can learn something from the affection displayed 
by this spider, and perhaps the heart of some brother naturalists may 
be touched in a practical manner at this time of year, when there are 
thousands of poor little half-starved waifs and strays who have never 
had the parental affection shown to them such as “only a dead spider” 
showed to its offspring as long as life lasted, and, “being dead, yet 
speaketh.”—A Lover of Spiders. 
ihpot'ts of jlotictifs. 
BIRMINGHAM NATURAL HISTORY AND MICROSCOPICAL 
SOCIETY.— General Meeting, December 2nd.—Mr. W. B. Grove, B.A., 
read a paper on “ New or Noteworthy Fungi,” part 2, which was illus¬ 
trated by numerous and beautifully-executed microscopical drawings. 
He described several species new to science, and a large number 
new to Great Britain, and nearly all collected in this district. 
Biological Section, December 9tli.—Mr. W. P. Marshall in the chair. 
Mr. T. Bolton exhibited Nais hamata, a worm described as anew species 
last year by Professor Tims, of Wurzburg. Also the larva of the Fairy 
Shrimp, Cheirocephalus diaplianm, and mounted specimen of a very rare 
entomostracan, Lynceus acanthoceroides, both from near Bewdley. 
Mr. W. H. Wilkinson : Lichens, Physcia parietina, Peltigera horizontalis, 
P. rufesceus, Evernia furfuracea , liamalina fastiyiata , Usvea barbata, 
Alectoria jabata, Lccanora atra, and other lichens from Scotland. Also 
the Kilmarnock Willow, a pendulous variety of the common Goat 
Willow, Salix caprea , from the banks of the River Ayr, in Scotland. 
Professor Haycraft, M.B., then read his paper on “ Some New 
Observations upon the Physiology of the Medicinal Leech,” 
Hirudo medicinalis , illustrated by a large diagram, black board 
illustrations, and a series of specimens under the microscopes. 
Professor Haycraft described some experiments performed by him in 
the Physiological Laboratory of Mason College. He had found that the 
