84 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



[Apkil 1, 1S63. 



The food of the Tegenaria consists of any creature 

 unfortunate enough to fall into her snare, from the 

 size of an ant, up to a good-sized beetle. Unlike the 

 Diadem spider, which envelopes her victim in a 

 winding-sheet before feasting on its juices; or the 

 Theridion, which entangles the limbs of the en- 

 trapped insect— the Tegenaria, with the rapidity of 

 an arrow, pounces upon her prey, and seizing it in 

 her enormously powerful falces, despite its struggles, 

 carries it to her chamber of horrors. When the 

 captured insect struggles, the spider may be ob- 

 served endeavouring to hold the limbs with her 

 palpi, which are furnished at the end with a small 

 curved claw. 



Fig. 62. Compressed sessile hairs magniied. 



Erom long observation, I may state that the 

 Tegenaria almost invariably seize their prey by the 

 upper part of the thorax ; they appear to do this 

 instinctively, as they have evidently greater power 

 over their victims ; in adition to this, were they to 

 seize the head, the comparatively soft body of the 

 spider would be more exposed to injury from the 

 claws and stings of insects captured, or from power- 

 ful jaws, claws, and spiny limbs, if seized by the 

 abdomen. 



I once noticed a beetle (a species of Carabus, I 

 believe), common enough in gardens, fall into the 

 web of a Tegenaria, which endeavoured to seize 

 the beetle in the usual manner, but was unable to 

 do so owing to the hard polished surface. Foiled in 

 her efforts to carry off the struggling insect for 

 some time, she suddenly seized poor beetle by in- 

 serting her fangs into the open jaws, which appeared 

 even more powerful than her own, and carried him 

 into her dark retreat. I did not learn the result of 

 this capture. Notwithstanding that I frequently 

 noticed this same spider carry off nearly as large 

 insects, it is evident that smaller cheer are not 

 disdained, as I witnessed her on one occasion 

 standing motionless on a hot clinker, nearly two 

 inches from the margin of her web — it was on one 

 of the hottest days of last summer, — and surprised to 



see her thus, I watched her for some time, and soon 

 noticed that several ants which were running briskly 

 over the stones disappeared under the spider's 

 body in a very sudden manner; I then ascertained 

 that when any unfortunate individual came within 

 her reach, said individual was at once snapped 

 up ; this appeared the more remarkable as from the 

 creature's position, and the situation of her eyes, 

 it seemed impossible that the ants could be per- 

 ceived when so nearly under her ; added to this, 

 the body was raised some little distance above the 

 stone. I concluded that the tiny things were 

 seized by the palpi, and conveyed to the jaws ; 

 possibly an ant may be considered a dainty morsel 

 by the Tegenaria. 



Although the spider possesses so formidable a 

 pair of jaws, there is an apparently defenceless 

 creature which bids defiance to her terrible weapons, 

 I refer to the common woodlouse {Oniscus) or 

 " pill-beetle," for although I have again and again 

 witnessed this Crustacea fall into the web of the 

 Tegenaria, I have but once seen one captured. No 

 sooner is the spider informed that a meal is at hand 

 than she is standing over her intended victim, who 

 remains motionless for a short interval ; the instant 

 that the creature moves — for the spider never at- 

 tempts to carry off any insect so long as it remains 

 still — the Tegenaria strikes with her huge fangs, and 

 appears somewhat disconcerted that the coat of mail 

 wards off the blow ; failing in her attempts to seize 

 the armadillo, many equally unsuccessful efforts are 

 made to turn the creature over, until apparently in 

 dread of the strange object, poor spider scampers 

 back to her den — perhaps to return to the scene of 

 her defeat as soon as the woodlouse moves but 

 seeming at last disgusted at her unrewarded exer- 

 tions, her would-be victim is allowed to escape. 



It does not appear to be so difficult a matter to 

 deceive a spider as some of your correspondents 

 seem to imagine, for during the warm weather, 

 whenever I have occasion to water my garden, the 

 Tegenaria inhabiting my rockwork have afforded 

 quite an amusement. If but a few small streams 

 from the rose of the water-can are allowed to fall 

 upon their webs, a constant dance is kept up by 

 the spiders, who rush at the falling threads of water, 

 and scamper back as quickly when the drops 

 descend upon their bodies — the movements at times 

 being so rapid that the eye can with difficulty follow 

 them. When but a single stream is allowed to flow 

 for a few minutes, the spider upon whose web it 

 falls makes incessant efforts to seize the fluid. The 

 creature evidently does not acquire wisdom by ex- 

 perience, for the same experiment may be repeated 

 day after day, and always with the same result. 



It appears doubtful whether the poison of this and 

 other spiders is fatal to the creature wounded, or 

 simply has a stupifying effect ; whichever may be the 

 case, its action is very rapid, as an insect once 



