THE MAGAZINE 



OF 



NATURAL HISTORY, 



NOVEMBER, 1832. 



ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 



Art. I. On some Peculiarities in the Construction of the Nets of 

 the common Garden Spider [Epeira diadema). By William 

 Spence, Esq. F.L.S. 



Sir, 

 So much yet remains to be learned relative to the habits and 

 economy of spiders, that I shall not apologise for occupying a 

 few pages of your Magazine with a short account of some pe- 

 culiarities in the construction of the nets of Epeira diadema*, 

 which have lately fallen under my observation, and which, 

 though of no great importance in themselves, may deserve 

 recording, with a view to render the history of this tribe more 

 complete. 



It is well known that these spiders, as well as others of 

 their family, fix their concentric nets in a position more or 

 less vertical, in the middle of a framework of stronger lines, 

 forming an irregular square, or more generally a triangle, the 

 ends of which are fastened to trees or other objects. I have 

 observed, however, in the Giardino Publico at Milan, this 

 summer, several of these nets fixed in a triangular framework, 

 of which the lines were attached to trees in two points only, 

 the lower angle of the frame hanging perpendicularly down, 

 without any fixed point of attachment, but terminating in a 

 line often of several feet in length (in one case, full fifteen), 

 having either a dead leaf, a short twig, or piece of bark, or 



* The only two of the spiders in question which, owing to the height of 

 most of the nets, I had an opportunity of examining, seemed to me to be 

 half- grown individuals of E. diadema ; but it is possible that they were a 

 distinct but closely allied species. 



Vol. V. — No. 30. y y 



