The Industries of Animals by Frédéric Houssay

Author:Frédéric Houssay [Houssay, Frédéric]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Animal behavior, Animals -- Habitations
Published: 2009-08-25T16:00:00+00:00

The Trap-door Spiders of the south of Europe construct burrows which have been studied with great care and in much detail by Moggridge.83 He found that there were four chief types of burrow, shown in the accompanying illustration (Fig. 20) at about one-third the actual size (except C1 and D1, which are of natural size). While A and B have only one door, C and D, besides the surface door, have another a short way under ground. The whole burrow as well as the door are lined with silk, which also forms the hinge. The great art of the Trap-door Spider lies in her skilful forming of the door, which fits tightly, although it opens widely when she emerges, and which she frequently holds down when an intruder strives to enter, and in the manner with which the presence of the door is concealed, so as to harmonise with surrounding objects. Perhaps in no case is the concealment more complete than when dead leaves are employed to cover the door. In some cases a single withered olive leaf is selected, and it serves to cover the entrance; in other cases several are woven together with bits of wood or roots, as in the accompanying illustration, which represents such a door when open and when shut. (Fig. 21.)

Fig. 21.

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