ix] WOLF-SPIDERS 67 



its construction, and does not in the least recognise 

 it by sight. Spiders of other groups, where the 

 female remains near but detached from the cocoon, 

 are not at the same disadvantage, and if the cocoon 

 is removed to a short distance the mother will go 

 straight to it and bring it back. The wolf-spider 

 only knows the feel of the cocoon ; she may pass 

 close by it without recognition, but as soon as she 

 touches it the cocoon is immediately resumed if the 

 interval of separation has not been too great. 



But is it necessary to restore to the spider her 

 own cocoon ? Will not that of another spider serve 

 as well ? Certainly it will ; a wolf-spider will eagerly 

 adopt the cocoon of a spider even belonging to a 

 different genus, if not greatly unlike her own in size. 

 Nay, even a ball of pith of the same size will be 

 attached with alacrity to the spinnerets, though if 

 offered a choice between a cocoon and a pith ball 

 the spider, after some hesitation, selects the real 

 article. One spider even accepted a cocoon into 

 which a leaden shot had been inserted, making it 

 many times its original weight. She could hardly 

 crawl with her new burden, but stuck to it gallantly, 

 and when several efforts to secure it to her spinnerets 

 had proved ineffectual she carried it about between 

 her jaws and the third pair of legs. Again we find 

 the intelligence of the spider distinctly limited, but 

 its powerful instincts are equal to all ordinary 



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