Note 158 — SUPPLEMENT TO TRAP-DOOR SPIDERS. (continued 2)

"A large reddish spider (Mygale), named by the natives 'sclàli,' runs about with great velocity. Its nest is most ingeniously covered with a hinged cover or door, about the size of a shilling, the inner face of which is of a pure white silky substance like paper, while the outer one is coated with earth precisely like that in which the hole is made, so that when it is closed it is quite impossible to detect the situation of the nest. Unfortunately the cavity for breeding is never seen except when the owner is out, and has left the door open behind her."—Dr. Livingstone, from "Popular Accounts of Travels in South Africa," chap. xvii. p. 221.