x] 



JUMPING SPIDERS 



77 



thousand species, but the British list includes barely 

 thirty, and most of these are of rare occurrence, or at 

 all events exceedingly unlikely to be met with by any 

 but the most energetic collector. Indeed it inay^e 

 said that there is only one British species which we 

 may look forward with tolerable confidence to finding 

 upon some sunny wall or fence in the summer, in 

 whatever part of the country we may be. This is 



Fig. 8. SaJtii'-iis scenicns, female, x 4. 



Salticus scenicus, sometimes called the Zebra Spider. 

 Though absolutely dowdy in comparison with most of 

 its tropical cousins, it is a not unattractive little 

 creature, and illustrates sufficiently well the charac- 

 teristics of its tribe. Armed with a pocket-lens, 

 a glass tube or two, and more necessary still the 

 very largest amount of patience we can summon, we 

 go in quest of the zebra spider. A tarred fence is 

 a good hunting ground, because the spider, if present, 



