The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-09-01
TRAP DOOR SPIDERS
NEST CONSISTS OF AN ExcAVATEp
TUBE SIX INCHES DEEP

Wonderful Intelligence Displayed by
These Remarkable Insects-A Com
mon Garden Spider Attaches Wood
to Its Nest to Act as Drag Anchor
a curious species Of insect is the
trap-door spider, whose nest consists OF
q tube excayated in the earth TO the
depth of six or eight inches. 1t is al
ways lined with silk and it is closed
with an ingeniously constructed door.
One sort OF door closes into the nest
like cork in a bottle; another is as
thin as a piece OF paper.
In all cases the door opens outward,
and when the nest is placed, as j, usl-
ally is, on a sioping bank, il opens up
ward, so that there is no fear OF its
gaping. The object Of the trap-door is
TO conceal The nest, and consequently
1t is always made to resemble the gen.
eral surface OF the ground. Sometimes,
however, an enemy attempts TO open
the door; and then the inmate braces
its legs against the sides of the nest
and holds it as fast as possible.
Still other spiders have inner doors
besides outer, so that If their first de-
Tense be carried, they may have anoth-
er behind which TO retreat. More Curl
Gus still is the ingenuity OF the branch
trap-door; that is to say, door that
opens from the main tunnel OF the nest
into a side branch, which the spider
knows. OF course, but which no strang-
or could discover. since there is moth
ing TO distinguish it from any other
part Of the main nest So. then. If an
enemy should effect an entrance, the
lawful occupant OF the nest can quietly
slip into the side branch, close the
door and there remain in security while
the intruder wonders what has become
OF her
II all these wonderful things are done
by instinct, have we any proof what
ever of individual intelligence among
spiders? Most assuredly. If We re-
member that intelligence is proved
whenever We observe a manifest appli-
cation OF means appropriate TO the ac-
complishment OF particular ends. il is
hardly possible to deny that there is
some evidence Of the intelligence Of
spiders Many instances have occurred
more or less like the following:
One Of my friends was accustomed
to grant shelter to a number OF garden
spiders under a vacant veranda. and TO
watch their habits One day a sharp
storm broke out, and the wind ragged
so furiously through the garden that
the spiders suffered damage from it,
although sheltered by the veranda. The
ma!nyards OF one OF these webs. as the
sailors would call them, were broken
so that the web was blown hither and
thither. like a slack sail in storm.
The spider made no fresh threads,
but tried TO help itself in another way.
Ii let itself down to the ground by a
thread and crawled TO a place where
lay some splinJered pieces OF a wooden
fence, thrown down by a storm. It fas-
tened a thread 10 one OF the bits OF
wood, turned back with it and hung it
with q strong thread to the lower part
Of its nest. about five feet from the
ground. The performance was a Won
derful one, Tor the weight Of the wood
sufiiced to keep the nest tolerably firm,
while it was yet light enough TO yield
to the wind, and so prevent further
injury. The piece OF wood .was about
two and one-half inches long, and as
thick as a goose-quill.
On the following day a careless SER
want knocked her head against the
course OF few hours the spider mend
ed her web, broke the supporting
thread in TWO, and let the wood fall 10
the ground"