HORIZONTAL SNARES AND DOMED ORBS, 



165 



snare had the composite structure imperfectly represented in Fig. 154. 

 The general form of the snare was that of a j)yramid the upper part of 

 which, r, was a mass of right lines, knotted and looped and crossed in 

 all directions. Within this mass was suspended an open silken dome, d d, 

 constructed of a vast number of radii crossed at regular intervals by con- 

 centrics after the manner of the common orbweaving spider. The radii 

 were about one-sixteenth inch apart at the bottom or circumference of the 

 dome. The concentrics extended entirely and with equal regu- 

 larity to the summit. They did not cross the radii in circular 

 lines, but presented that notched appearance which characterizes 

 the notched zone in the ordinary webs of Orbitelarite. The meshes formed 

 by the radii and spirals had thus much the shape of the meshes in a fish- 

 erman's net. The diameter of the dome was from seven to eight inches 

 at the base, and the height nearly the same. It was suspended in the 

 midst of the retitelarian 



The 

 Dome. 



like character, which thor 

 icate structure, and per 

 Beneath the dome, 

 removed, was a light sheet 

 meshed by wav 

 It liad a dec id 

 was supported, 

 and of which it 

 curtain, by silken threads 

 exactly to meet this })ur 

 have been sim})ly the col 

 web, which had been strip 

 doned in order to con 



The Cur 



tained 



Floor. 



Fig. 155. The Basilica spider, 

 a, side view of body ; c, ceph- 

 alothorax enlarged. 



lines by silken guys of 

 oughly steadied the del- 

 fectly preserved its form. 

 from two to three inches 

 of cobweb, c, irregularly 

 ing and straight lines, 

 ed convexity upward, and 

 like the dome above it, 

 seemed to be a protecting 

 or guys, so stretched as 

 pose. This curtain may 

 lapsed remnant of an old 

 ped downward, or aban- 

 struct a fresh snare above 



it. But it presented the appearance of a special structure, intended to 

 serve a special purpose. 



Of the many specimens of spinningwork which I have studied, I have 

 never seen one quite so beautiful as this. It was with real regret that such 

 a rare piece of spider architecture was destroyed, after it had been sketched, 

 in order that the architect, herself one of the most beautiful of her 

 kind, might be collected for the cabinet. The species was named E})eira 

 basilica. 



It would be an interesting study to the architect of human habitations, 

 to uiu'over the ])riiiciples upon which this silken basilica was reared. He 

 would doubtless find admirable adaptation of means to ends; he 

 would be likely to meet methods quite familiar to himself ; and 

 perhaps to stumble upon some of which hejs yet ignorant. He 

 certainly would have occasion to marvel that a structure so stable could be 

 wrought out of siu-h fragile material as spider silk, and that the delicate 

 dome could be so poi-sed in the midst and by the help of silken threads as 



Architec- 

 ture. 



