Another mason-spider (_Mygale cæmentaria_, Latr.), found in the south of France, usually selects for her nest a place bare of grass, sloping in such a manner as to carry off the water, and of a firm soil, without rocks or small stones. She digs a gallery a foot or two in depth, and of a diameter (equal throughout) sufficient to admit of her easily passing. She lines this with a tapestry of silk glued to the walls. The door, which is circular, is constructed of many layers of earth kneaded, and bound together with silk. Externally, it is flat and rough, corresponding to the earth around the entrance, for the purpose, no doubt, of concealment: on the inside it is convex, and tapestried thickly with a web of fine silk. The threads of this door-tapestry are prolonged, and strongly attached to the upper side of the entrance, forming an excellent hinge, which, when pushed open by the spider, shuts again by its own weight, without the aid of spring hinges. When the spider is at home, and her door forcibly opened by an intruder, she pulls it strongly inwards, and even when half-opened often snatches it out of the hand; but when she is foiled in this, she retreats to the bottom of her den, as her last resource.[FP] Rossi ascertained that the female of an allied species (_Mygale sauvagesii_, Latr.), found in Corsica, lived in one of these nests, with a numerous posterity. He destroyed one of these doors to observe whether a new one would be made, which it was; but it was fixed immovably, without a hinge; the spider, no doubt, fortifying herself in this manner till she thought she might reopen it without danger.[FQ] [The accompanying illustration shows one of these nests, which is in my own collection. It was brought from Jamaica, together with the spider that made it. [Illustration] The nest is nearly six inches in length, and is made of a double layer of silken web. The inner layer is yellowish, with a tinge of red, and although fine, very tough and strong. The outer layer is thick, coarse, dark brown, and rather flaky, the dark colour being probably caused by the earth which is mixed with it. The lid is made of eight or ten layers of coarse web, overlapping each other like the tiles of a house-roof, and the entrance of the nest is formed after the same fashion. If the lid be opened, the inside of the nest is seen to be of a different make from the exterior, being greyish-white, smooth, close-textured, and looking much like the finest kid leather. [Illustration] The smaller illustration shows the spider in the act of emerging from its home.] * * * * *