THE MOULTING OF A BIRD-EATING SPIDER. 183
old carapace gradually folded back, exposing a beautifully
soft new integument beneath. The spider itself looked very
strange at this stage, with its carapace folded back like a lid
over the thorax which had been opened.
The skin of the abdomen then split along the edges in just
the same way, till the split reached the extreme posterior end,
and there the abdominal skin and the carapace hinged back in
one piece.
All this time the spider kept expanding and contracting
rhythmically, and I suppose the legs were being gradually
drawn out from their outer sheaths, but it was impossible to
follow the process, because they were tightly tucked beneath
the body.
When, after about four hours, all the legs had been with-
drawn, it looked a shapeless heap of nothing but legs, inter-
twined in a hopeless fashion. It remained like this for about
half-an-hour, then, suddenly, out struggled the spider in its new
coat from the mass, pale and soft, leaving behind it not only the
outer skin, but also the lining of the oesophagus ; this is still
attached to the cast skin.
The spider made straight for water, and stood in it for about
10 minutes, looking very beautiful as it stood in the shallow water;
all the new hairs were still quite soft, and the whole coat had a
lovely velvety appearance, and the little bubbles of air that
clung to the hairs shone in the water like quicksilver. After
its bath it retired into a corner and curled up, no doubt to
recuperate and to allow its new skin to harden.
I took out the cast skin, which was lying in a tangled heap,
and was delighted to find when I spread it out that it was still
perfectly whole, and had the lining of the oesophagus attached.
The limbs were all whole, not a single joint had been broken
in the process of moulting.
I have laid the carapace back so as to show the under side,
with the two large round eyes, and the six small oval ones
beside them, situated right at the front; the ridges along the
under side of the carapace where the powerful leg muscles were
attached ; the lining to the oesophagus projecting into the thoracic
cavity : and the inner surface of the body-wall with the large
openings leading into the chelicerae pedipalps and legs.
I have found only one other record of the moulting of these