April 1, 1S6S.] 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



S3 



being considerably raised above the body (wben the 

 creature is at rest), which is thus partly obscured 

 by them, and the l'angs being black, this spider 

 appears much darker than a closer examination 

 proves it to be; this, added to the rapidity with 

 which it moves, renders it an object of dread to 

 most persons, particularly those who have an anti- 

 pathy to spiders. 



The Tegenaria atrica appears to be common in 

 Middlesex and Surrey. I have found it abundant 

 in the neighbourhood of Camberwell and Brixton. 

 Its snare is formed in the angles of old walls, the 

 corners of outhouses, &c, a very favourite place 

 being a hole in an old wall, with a warm aspect, or 

 any warm situation affording a convenient and dark 

 retreat. The web forms a horizontal sheet of great 

 strength, and sometimes of considerable size — one 

 in my garden measuring 9 inches in one direction 

 by SA inches in another; at one corner of this web 

 is the tube which serves as a retreat for the spider, 

 and frequently extends many inches into the loose 

 stones, &c. 



My own garden is surrounded by a wall pre- 

 senting many requisites for a spider's comfortable 

 domestic arrangements, the mortar having been 

 removed in many places by exposure to the wea- 

 ther, and the wall itself being built with projecting 

 supports. When I first came to reside here, I 

 found the holes in it swarming with spiders of all 

 sizes and colours, forming a perfect Eldorado for an 

 arachnologist. Amongst them were several indi- 

 viduals of Tegenaria atrica. I erected a piece of 

 rockwork, the back of which is exposed to the full 

 heat of the summer sun, and during the two past 

 summers every miniature cave and recess has been 

 occupied by a Tegenaria, the situation affording 

 great warmth, security, shade, and abundance of 

 food, and offering many facilities for the observation 

 of the creatures' habits ; they have been undisturbed 

 by me ; one or two individuals have been far above 

 the average size. 



The Tegenaria possesses the singular power, in 

 common with other spiders, of casting off and re- 

 producing injured limbs, the limb injured being 

 reproduced when the next moult takes place. The 

 new limb is very frequently smaller than that which 

 it has replaced, although this is not always the case, 

 it depending in a great measure upon the part of 

 the limb on which the injury occurs. In many 

 cases the new limb is larger than the old. In the 

 example figured (fig. 60), which I mounted for the 

 microscope a few weeks since, it will be observed 

 that one of the last pair of legs is nearly two-fifths 

 of an inch shorter than the corresponding limb on the 

 opposite side. In capturing a fine specimen a short 

 time previously, I apparently injured one of the 

 third pair of legs, which was carried higher than 

 the others, so as not to come in contact with the 

 earth. This limb was cast off three days after 



capture of the spider, which died before another 

 moult. 



The strength of this spider is marvellous. It is 

 said that a lion can with ease carry off the carcase 

 of a bullock to a great distance, and at a sharp trot ; 

 Tegenaria atrica, however, quite throws this feat 

 into the shade. 1 have on several occasions ob- 

 served young individuals seize and carry off, with as 

 much ease as a cat would a mouse, a full-grown 



^ 



Fig. 60. Young of Tegenaria atrica. 



Diadem spider {Epeira diademd). The relative size 

 of these creatures will be seen by referring to figs. 60 

 and 61, which represent the outlines of two speci- 

 mens now before me. The Tegenaria figured is a 

 small specimen, but, like all her kindred, was of a 

 fearless nature ; and when her web was agitated 



Fig. 61. Epeira diadema 



with a spike of grass, would boldly seize it with her 

 jaws, and allow herself to be drawn to the margin 

 of her web before she would loose her hold — 

 endeavouring at the same time to prevent herself 

 from being pulled forward — presenting a ludicrous 

 resemblance to a youug puppy which holds on to a 

 handkerchief or stick, and allows itself to be dragged 

 about. As soon as the edge of the web was reached, 

 my dusky friend always scampered back to her den. 



