FIELD BOOK OF INSECTS, 



horizontal webs which frequently almost completely 

 carpet our lawns but are usually only noticed when 

 covered with dew. It is one of the AGELENID/E. Another 

 member of this family is Tegenaria derhami, a spider which 

 lives with man from the Frigid zone to the Tropics, making 

 a flat sheet, which is often dust-covered, in the corners of 

 cellars, barns, and the like. The LYCOSID^E are, figura- 

 tively speaking as well as literally translating their name, 

 Wolf -spiders. For the most part, they build no snare but 

 secure their prey in the chase. Some species dig tunnels 

 in the earth for hiding-places. A female is shown in 

 Plate VII carrying her egg sac; after the young emerge 

 they will ride on their mother's back, completely covering 

 it, until, by the process of eating each other and any other 

 food they can secure, they are able to shift for themselves. 

 Finally we come to the ATTID.E, Jumping Spiders, of small 

 size, numerous in species and replete with interest' because 

 of their beauty, their mating habits, their occasional 

 mimicry of ants and other things concerning which you are 

 referred, first of all, to Nature. If you see a small spider 

 springing about, sometimes sideways or backwards, on a 

 fence rail or the sunny side of a building, it is probably an 

 Attid (possibly Salticus senicus; see Plate VII) and will 

 repay further study. 



The large, commonly observed Spirobolus 

 Diplopoda plate vn) . s a t y pical Milliped . There 



are a 'number of smaller species in our gardens. These 

 creatures feed on vegetable matter and are absolutely 

 harmless. When disturbed, they curl up into a spiral 

 and sometimes exude a defensive fluid. 



The bite of all Centipedes is poisonous and 

 Chilopoda that of large spedes is dangerous. The 



only common sort in the North is Scutigera forceps (Plate 

 VII). It lives in houses, feeding upon flies, cockroaches 

 and other insects. Dr. Felt says "its presence in a house 

 should be welcomed, since it is capable of inflicting no 

 injury aside from a somewhat poisonous bite, the latter 

 being extremely rare." I confess that any found in our 

 house get stepped on. 



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