4 SPIDERS [CH. 



and examine a sunny wall or fence. You may 

 chance to see a little zebra-striped, flat-bodied spider 

 exploring the surface and directing its opera-glass- 

 like eyes in all directions in search of prey. This is 

 one of the Attidae or jumping spiders few and 

 sober-coloured in this country, but extraordinarily 

 abundant and often extremely beautiful in tropical 

 regions. Pause at the iron railing before leaving the 

 garden and observe how the topmost bar and the 

 knobs which crown the uprights are alive with spiders, 

 mostly very small, and obviously of many different 

 kinds, extremely busy about something that it may 

 be worth while to investigate later ; then go on into 

 the lane, and note, in the banks of the hedgerows the 

 great sheet- webs and tubes of Agelena, a near relative 

 of the house-spider, but with a cobweb, thanks to its 

 situation, comparatively free from accumulations of 

 dust and filth. 



The creatures skipping, dry-shod, on the surface 

 of the river or pond, though often called water- 

 spiders, are true insects. The real water-spider, 

 Argyroneta, which, though air-breathing, spends 

 most of its time below the surface of the water, is 

 not to be found everywhere, but there are many 

 riparian species which are semi-amphibious in their 

 habits and have no objection to a wetting. 



Finally, turn into the wood and look carefully on 

 the ground, especially where last year's leaves are 



