226 



AMERICAN SPIDERS AND THEIR SPINNINGWORK. 



the leaf stayed in a most admirable way. She then took her position un- 

 derneath the roof, apparently satisfied with her new shelter. The only 

 thing which it seemed to me she might have done better was to turn the 

 leaf. It had fallen with the cavernous part upward, and the spider so left 

 it, although that part was the one best fitted for a den. I watched for 



awhile to see if this point would be observed and remedied by 

 Pitching- ^jjg little architect, but saw nothing. During the night there 

 rp , was a heavy storm of rain and wind, and in the morning I found 



the orb destroyed and the maze much damaged ; but the leaf 

 remained, and the spider was nestled against it. It had manifestly been 

 her refuge against the storm. 



Fig. 214. How a Labyrinth spider swings and stays a leaf. 



The day cleared, and next morning a new and beautiful snare had been 

 spun. However, a site had been chosen six or eight inches removed from 

 the original one. To this point the leaf had been shifted ; and now I no- 

 ticed that it had been turned over so that the concave part was downward, 

 as at first I had thought it ought to be. This could hardly have been the 

 result of accident. The whole leaf was now so arranged as to make the 

 best shelter possible, and it was stayed within its position in the maze in 

 an admirable manner. Fig. 214. 



To the point of the stem was fastened a very strong, thick, white line 

 (a, a) similar to that with which Labyrinthea suspends her string of cocoons. 

 This extended through the labyrinth in a somewhat waving course for 

 a distance of eight inches. This line was braced throughout its course 



