Habits of the Diadem Spider. 575 



Spiders. — Fpeira diadema. (Jig. 55.) — In this neighbourhood 

 [Dundee] the diadem spider is abundant, inhabiting almost 



every kind of locality ; the rich 

 warm garden, the shady wood, 

 the grassy meadow, and the wild 

 mountain heath are alike its 

 home, where it spreads its net 

 of beautiful symmetry, and con- 

 structs that little silken tent 

 in which, snugly concealed, it 

 watches for its prey ; and all is 

 prey that comes into the mo- 

 narch spider's net. The largest moths and butterflies are retained ; 

 and I have frequently seen a strong-bodied bottle-fly, suspended 

 by a thread together with its destroyer, struggling in vain for 

 liberty and life. But one of its deeds of boldest daring I 

 lately witnessed while rambling among the Sidlaw Hills, 

 when it certainly had a formidable antagonist to deal with. 

 This was no other than a good-sized wild bee, I believe of 

 the species ^ N pis lapidaria [Bombus lapidarius], whose feet 

 had unfortunately been entangled in the net while it was 

 searching for the honey of the heath-blossoms. In an in- 

 stant, the spider darted from his concealment, and seized upon 

 the bee; but, seemingly aware of the power of his victim, and 

 knowing where its strength lay, he clung to its back in such a 

 manner as to prevent the poor honey-gatherer, with all its 

 wrenching and writhing, from injuring him with that sharp 

 weapon which it wielded. Its efforts became weaker and 

 weaker; and, in all likelihood,every spark of vitality would soon 

 have been extinct, had I not rescued it from its perilous si- 

 tuation, and sent it home rejoicing to relate to its comrades 

 the tale of its hairbreadth escape. — William Gardiner, jun. 

 Dufidee, Forfarshire, Oct. 4. 1834. 



^Notices of the Forms of the Egg-Cases of some exotic Species 

 of Spider : by the late Rev. L. Guilding, who had made them as 

 an annotation on the figure and description of " A Nidus on a 

 Rush" given in II. 104.] — These curious bottle-shaped cages 

 are, without doubt, the egg-chambers of spiders. They are, of 

 course, perfectly distinct in use and structure from the house 

 (habitaculum Guild.) of the solitary larvae ; the camp (castra 

 Guild.), or loose web, of gregarious caterpillars ; or the fol- 

 liculus, or cocoon, of pupae. I have, therefore, applied the 

 term theca (case, or bag) to these artificial bodies. 



In the case recorded [in II. 104.], the unoccupied space 

 was very likely to be used as a nursery till the young were 

 strong enough to rupture the sides, and provide for themselves. 



