200 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



in the warmer climates not all spiders need to be so careful in 

 the preparation and protection of their cocoons, it seems 

 natural, too, that they should use more care in such dangerous 

 conditions, and this presumption is verified by the observations 

 of two men who have lived for two winters in the high arctic 

 region and who have communicated to me the following facts. 

 These men are Biederbeck and Lieut. then Sergeant Brai- 

 nard, of the late Lady Franklin Bay Expedition. Both noticed 

 that a great many leaves, ( Biederbeck said nearly all ) which 

 in fall lay loose on the ground around the camp were peculiarly 

 curled and in opening them, which required some skill and 

 exertion, they found them filled with a white mass of stuff 

 which resembled threads, saturated with a glue-like matter. 

 The same informants remembered, on having their attention 

 drawn to the fact by the writer, that similar leaves were 

 fastened upon the stems of the Saxifrage and other bushes. 

 I say that they were fastened, because they stuck to the 

 stems in spite of the fierce fall storms. 



Here we have the explanation of the possibility of the 

 survival of spiders through the long inclement winter season 

 in the arctic belt. 



The reason why so few specimens and species of the large 

 family Attidae, a family of decidedly cosmopolitan character, 

 have been found to inhabit the arctic region is in my opinion 

 due only to the fact that their mode of hibernating is not 

 suited to the severity of arctic winter. They select, at least 

 in the temperate climates, the spaces between the bark and 

 the wood of large trees ; here they spin a thin silken tent or 

 tube which gives ample protection from 'the frosts of a com 

 paratively light winter. As the opportunity of following this 

 method is wanting in the polar zone, the spider has no chance 

 to preserve its species under the prevailing circumstances. 



In answer to a question by Professor Riley, Dr. Marx said 

 that spinning spiders are rare in Arctic regions, and are repre 

 sented by a few small species. But two Orb- weavers have been 

 found. The occurrence of spinning species was discussed also 

 by Dr. Fox and Mr. Banks. 



Mr. Schwarz remarked that the Arctic region not only har 

 bors the so-called circumpolar species, but besides these many 

 species which are local in distribution. In fact the Arctic region 

 is divided into several more or less strongly marked sub-regions, 

 each possessing a number of peculiar species. He said that 

 there must be natural barriers which prevent the spread of these 



