TABLE OF CONTENTS. 11 



PART IV.— UNBEADED ORBS AND SPRING SNARES. 



CHAPTER X. 

 THE FEATHERFOOT SPIDER, ULOBORUS PLUMIPES. 



PAGES 



Distribution — Character of the Snare — Ribboned Decorations — Circular Decorations — 

 Snares in Hollow Trees and Stumps — AVebs Amonj; the Laurel — Xo Viscid Beads — 

 The Flocculent Sjnrals — Calaniistruni and Cribellum — Position of the Snare — A 

 True Orbweaver 172-179 



CHAPTER XI. 



THE TRIANGLE SPIDER AND ORB SECTOR. 



Hyptiotes cavatus— Her Favorite Site —Geographical Distribution — Construction of the 

 Web — Making the Frame — Mode of Spinninj^ the Spirals— The Radii— The Floccu- 

 lent Spiral Thread — Using the Spring Net — The Coil of Slack Line — Springing the 

 Snare— Securing the Prey — Feeding Habits — Muscular Rigidity 180-194 



CHAPTER XIL 



THE RAY SPIDER AND HER SNARE : ACTINIC ORB. 



Name and Systematic Position — ^The Peculiar Snare — Bowing the Snare — How the 

 Snare is Operated — Springing the Snare— Locking the Rays— Wear and Tear of the 

 Web — Affinities with Hyptiotes — The Spirals are Viscid — Insects Entangled upon 

 the Snare — Genesis of the Trapline —Both Trail and Telegraph— Multiplex Trap- 

 lines— Natural Habitat of the Ray Spider — Distribution 195-207 



PART v.— MECHANICAL SKILL, INTELLIGENCE, AND 



EQUIPMENT. 



CHAPTER XIII. 



ENGINEERING SKILL OF SPIDERS. 



Geometric Arrangements Imperfect— A Wind swept Snare— Anthropomorphism — Counter- 

 poising Wel)s — Zilla Leaf Counterpoise— Professor Parona's Case — Meta's Counter- 

 poise — Special .Vdaptations — Swinging Sawdust Nest — How I^abyrinthea Braces her 

 Roof— Pitching a I^eaf Tent — Alternate Ai)position — The Trestlework of Therid- 

 ium — Skill of the Speckled Tubeweaver, Agalena noevia — Dysdera's Tubular Nest — 

 A Silken Suspension Bridge 208 22S 



CHAPTER XIV. 



MECHANICAL STRENGTH OF WEBS AND PHYSICAL POWERS OF SPIDERS. 



Size of Orbwebs — Modified by Site —Modified by Weather— Structural Requirements — 

 Strengtli of Snares- Webs that Entrap Binls— Argiope as a Bird Catcher— Endurance 

 of an Orljweb — Physical Power of Si>iders— A Spider Captures a Fish— A Snake En- 

 snared by a Spider — Medicinal Spider's Snare — Theridium Captures a Mouse— Mr. 

 Hopper's Testimony — Hon. Proctor Knott's Testimony — The Conclusion — The Inci- 

 dent Proved— The Arancad Heroine 229 246 



