146 



AMERICAN SPIDERS AND THEIR SriNNINGWORK. 



what has caused this divergence from the typical single line? I am 

 rather inclined to think that it is accidental, resulting probably from the 

 breakage and pulling out into irregular forms of the original thread, and 

 the efforts of the spider to repair it without reconstructing her snare. Its 

 telegraphic efficiency is probably thereby impaired. 



IV. 



Nephila plumipes ^ is the largest of our indigenous Orbweavers, and is, 



perhaps, our most decided representative of troj^ical spider fauna. Some 



examples of the genus Nephila in the 



collection of the Academy of 



Distribu- Natural Sciences of Phila- 



S°\°M delpliia, from Africa, ^ have 

 Nephila ^, ' . . 



plumipes. I'eached an immense size. 



Their webs are formidable 

 impediments when stretched across 

 paths and among forest trees, even 

 to human passengers. I know of but 

 one species in the United States, and 

 for much of our knowledge of this we 

 are indebted to the intelligent studies of Pro- 

 fessor Bert Wilder, M. D. While stationed 

 on the Southern Atlantic coast as an army 

 surgeon during the war of the Rebellion, he 

 became especially interested in this creature, 

 and published various papers descriptive of 

 his observations. The chief habitat of Ne- 

 phila, as Prof. Wilder found, ^ is Long Island, 

 a low, narrow uninhabited strip of land about 

 five miles southwest of Charleston, South Car- 

 olina, covered with palmetto and pine trees, 

 surrounded on all sides by creeks, and in the 

 Fig. 137. wiider's Nephila. Fe- midst of a great Salt marsli. During a two 



male, natural size. ,, .■, , -\ • ,^ • i • p 



years stay on the coast and m the interior or 

 South Carolina and Florida he never met with any traces of Nephila else- 

 where than near this island, except a specimen found upon Folly Island, 

 and a cocoon found in a tree on James Island. He had not observed it 



iProf. Thorell expressed the opinion, on tlie strengtli of s])eciniens sent to him, that 

 our American Nephila is a different species from N. phiniipes. I ])ropose for it the name 

 of N. wilderi, in recognition of the gentlenian who has made its hal)its so well known, 

 should the suggestion prove to he well founded. 



2 Collected in Zululand by Rev. Mr. Grout; some also frnm ljl)eria. 



'Proceedings Boston Natural History Society, N'ul. X., page 205, 1S(>5. 



