of natural history. The trap-door spider of Jamaica burrows in 
the earth and lines its burrow with a thick, heavy lining of com¬ 
pact silk, somewhat rough in appearance like the material of a 
wasp’s nest. Inside of this is another lining of silken softness, 
the interior surface of which has a smoothness and consistency re¬ 
sembling paper on which books are printed. The entrance of 
this tube is guarded by a cover or trap door. The door is woven 
on to the lining of the burrow, of the same material, with a some¬ 
what broad hinge, and fits the orifice with perfect accuracy. The 
outer surface of the lid is sprinkled with a thin layer of earth, of 
the same color as that surrounding it, and as it adheres to the 
glutinous silk, and as the trap door is flush with the surface of 
the ground, there is no trace of the burrow to be seen when the 
door is closed. The burrow is made on sloping ground, with the 
hinge uppermost, so that when the spider leaves her home, or re¬ 
treats to the bottom of her burrow, the door closes of its own ac¬ 
cord. Should a person approach when the lady of the house is 
lifting the cover and peeping out, she pops back, like the cuckoo 
in the clock, pulling the door after her with a smart clap. If a 
person should lift the lid gently while the spider is within, she 
hooks her hinder legs to the lid, her fore legs to the side of the 
burrow, and pulling and resisting with all her might, practically 
says “you can’t come in.” 
One of these silken nests now in the British Museum, made by 
an Australian spider, has its hinge across the middle of the top, 
like the cover of a syrup pitcher, instead of at the side, and this 
cover is bevelled off inward on the under side so that the closure 
of the entrance is absolutely accurate. These spiders hunt in the 
night, and devour their prey at the bottom of their burrow. 
Among the spiders who do not weave a web for prey are the 
water spiders. One of these breathes atmospheric air and yet 
builds its home under water. It spins under water a silken oval¬ 
shaped nest, not unlike an inverted acorn in form, open at the 
bottom, and attached to the branch or leaf of a water plant. 
When all is finished it takes its position in this nest head down¬ 
ward waiting for its prey, but it must have atmospheric air to 
breathe during the hours of waiting, and while eating its hardly- 
earned dinner. The problem is, how to fill this silken bell with 
