Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-03-21
TmE MASON SPIDER OF CORFU.

The mygale nest varies much in size,
from one inch in length tO three or four,
or even six or seven inches. In the
West Indies, where the spiders are crab
like, the insects measure six inches over.
One nest especially mentioned and mi
nulely described by Mr.. Oudouin, was
three inches aud a quarter long, and
eight-tenths of an inch wide. The nest,
OF cylindrical form, is made by boring
into the earth; making his excavation,
the next thing, having decided upon the
size of his habitation, is to furnish it,
and most beautiful are his paper hang
ings.
The whole of the interior is lined with
the softest possible silk, which the " ma
ior-domo" spins all over the apartment
until it is padded to a sufficient thick
ness and made soft enough. This done
and the interior finished, the mygale
shows his peculiarly by taking steps TO
keep ont intTuders by making, not only
a door. and that self-closing, but door
With swinging hinges, and sometimes
one at each end of the nest.
A gentleman at Corfu saw the spider
make his door, and thus describes the
wbrk Lying out in one of the sandy
pIateaus covered with olive groves, with
which Corfu abOunds, lOunging about in
the shady soil, he came to a spiders nest.
Examining it, he found the lid or door
would not open, and seemed firmly held
within by the proprietor, as If Jack were
at home so he applied forthwith the
leverage of a knife blade, upon which
the inmate retired to his inner chamber.
The aggressor decided not to disturb him
anv more that day, but marking the
nlsce a most necessary thing to do
| thought he would explore further the
next day, if fine. Accordingly, the
next day he called early, intending tC
| take Off the door and watch the progress
of restoration, and how it would be ac-
After waiting long time, out came
| Monsieur Mygale, and locking carefully
| around and finding all quiet, commenced
! operations by running his web backward
and forward across the oritice OF his mes
| till there was layer of silken web; upon
| this he elected gluten, over which he
| scratched the fine sand in the immediate
| neighborhood OF his nest; this done, h'
| opain set TO work webbing, then gluten
sand. then again web, gluten, sand
ahout ak times. This occupied, in all
about eight hours. But the puzzling par
was. that this time he was commenting
and building himself out from his owl
mansion, when, TO the astOnishment a1I
delight of his anxious lOoker-on, he begal
the finishing stroke by cutting and form
ing the door by fixing his Eind legs ii
The center Of the new covering, and from
these as a center, he began cutting will
his laws right through the door he ha'
made, striking clear circle round, ant
leaving about one-eighth of the eircum
ference as a hinge. This done he liftet
the door up and walked in.
NV friend then tried to open the doc
with a knife, hut the insect pulled
tight from the inside. He therefore du
, round him and took him of bOldly-my
gale and nest complete. The hinge
most carefully aud beautifully formed
and there appears to be an important OF
iset i'm view when the spider covers owe
the whole of the orifiee, for immediatel
the door is raised it springs back as 500
as released and this is caused by th
2 elasticity of the web on the hinge, an
7 the peculiar formation Of the lid or doc
5 which is made thicker on the lower sid'
: 40 that its own weight holds it TO be Sc
, closing, and the rabbiting of the door
e wonderfully surfaced Bolts and chul
E locks, with latch key the mygal
e | family do not possess; but as 8 subst
Y tute, the lower part OF the door has clay
b holding holes, 50 that q birds beak {
i other lever being used, Monsieur Nigga
T holds on TO the door by these, and wit
Y his legs against the side Of his hous
4 offers immense resistance against 8
s lcomers.-LoHdO1lJ Journal,