Explanation Of Plate XV.

• Fig. 1. M. distinctus, female; × 2.

• Fig. 2. “male; × 2.

• Fig. 3. Tarsus of female, front leg, showing bristles.

• Fig. 4. Terminus, female palpus.

• Fig. 5. Male palpus, side view.

• Fig. 6. Eyes.

• Fig. 7. a, young spider's door, and so on to, e, the adult door, from above.

• Fig. 8. Female leaping on back of fly (see fig. 10).

• Fig. 9. Side view of sections of nests, showing different devices for keeping the door from opening too far.

• Fig. 10. Female watching a fly, which is unaware of its danger. (Fig. 8 shows what happened a second later.)

• Fig. 10. a, at D, strands of silk woven to keep the door closed; O shows position of egg-bag (see fig. 14, top). b, at arrow, film of silk woven over young spiders. c, M shows partition often woven by moribund spider.

• Fig. 11. Female holding door against intruder (profile).

• Fig. 12. Same from above, showing position of legs, &c.

• Fig. 13. Nests built under a stone. Both have two doors, one at each end.

• Fig. 14. Top nest with egg-case; middle nest which has been denudated, after which the spider has bored in farther; lowest a nest built near surface on account of hardness of earth. (Fig. 14 also shows a bank in which the nests are in their natural position.)

• Fig. 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 do not, of course, show true position of tube; they should be as in fig. 14; but if drawings are turned around, the proper effect is obtained.