The Structure and Habits of Spiders. 105 



neighborhood of spiders' nests, and may some- 

 times be seen trying to stick their ovipositor 

 through a cocoon. If they succeed, their eggs 

 hatch before the spiders, and eat the latter up. 

 Other parasites lay eggs on the backs of young 

 spiders, and the larva lives attached to the out- 

 side till it gets nearly as large as the spider 

 itself. 



GROWTH IN THE EGG. 



The egg of a spider, like that of any other 

 animal, is a cell which separates from the body 

 of the female, and afterwards unites with one 

 or more cells which have separated from the 

 body of the male. This fertilization of the 

 eggs probably takes place when they have 

 reached their full size, and are about to be laid. 



After the eggs are laid and hardened, it is 

 very easy to watch their development. They 

 grow just as well anywhere else as in the 

 cocoon, and, in order to see through' the shell, 

 it is only necessary to cover the egg to be 

 examined, with oil, alcohol, or any liquid that 

 will wet it. 



Just after it is laid, the egg looks like Fig. 

 63, a ; or, if the egg is more opaque, only the 



