382 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF 



[1887. 



spider kept her spinnerets curved over the end of the abdomen with 

 a diverging ray of threads issuing therefrom and attached to the 

 surface beneath. 



5. Toilet Habits. After digging, the palps were used to wipe off 

 the fore parts of the body, very much as a cat uses her paw for a 

 like purpose. The fore legs were placed against the palps and were 

 cleansed by rubbing the two together. The toilet was also accom- 

 plished by overlapping one leg with the other, the second leg over 

 the third, for example, and then rubbing the two as if a man were 

 to scratch his leg by drawing the inner surface of one along the front 

 surface of the other. The first leg was thus rubbed against the sec- 

 ond, of course being pressed down upon it meanwhile. The j^alp 

 too was thrown back to the first leg which it brushed off in the same 

 manner. After digging in its burrow, "Leidy" was always quite 

 sure to cleanse its person, and by reason of its size the use of its 

 palps in wiping off the fore part of its body presented a most amus- 

 ing likeness to the familiar action of pussy when washing ofi' her 

 face with her paws. 



6. The character of the egg cocoon. A large female tarantula was 

 sent to me from the West Indies, and arrived at the Academy during 

 a prolonged absence. She died before my return. and was preserved 



'^r^ ' / 



f >. *'^tL-*"" 



^ '^''" 



Fifj. (J. Cocoon and eggs of Tarantula. 



in spirits ; but afforded me an opportunity, which I had long desired, 



