v] TRAP-SNARES AND BALLOONS 33 



flutter gently in the slight currents of air. And 

 closer inspection reveals various small objects moving 

 among this labyrinth of threads. Most of them are 

 spiders, though insects, and particularly weevils, are 

 not wanting. No doubt the weevils know their own 

 business, though the writer has not been taken into 

 their confidence, but the spiders are the particular 

 object of our investigation. And first of all note 

 that it is a veritable race-congress of spiders; the 

 most varied groups are represented. Wolf-spiders 

 (Lycosidae) which under ordinary circumstances 

 rarely leave the ground are found in company with 

 crab- spiders (Thomisidae), jumping spiders (Attidae), 

 as well as Epeiridae and Theridiidae of which we 

 already know something. They have only one thing 

 in common they are either small species or small 

 and immature specimens of larger species. They seem 

 to be scrambling about in a meaningless sort of way, 

 paying little or no attention to each other which is 

 odd, for spiders are terrible cannibals, and as a 

 general thing it would be exceedingly unsafe for a 

 small spider to rub shoulders with a larger one of 

 a different species. 



The majority of them are very small, more or less 

 black, Theridiicl spiders,' the "micros' of the tribe, 

 and their proper home is among the roots of grass 

 and herbage. Many of these are interesting objects 

 for the microscope especially if males because of 



w. s. 3 



