NESTING HABITS AND PROTECTIVE ARCHITECTURE. 



285 



I. 



Among the Orbvveavers tlie leaf rolling habit is perhaps most decided 

 in the Insular spider. She invariably domiciles upon shrubs, bushes, and 

 bushy trees, and commonly chooses a site within five to eight feet 



Spectacle ^f ^]^^^ ground. 



Spider's i -, 



-J^ , above and gener 



and is a series of 



tied as at Fig. 254, or a sin 



as at Fig. 255. The form 



may perhaps be character 



The leaves have been pulled 



fastened together by cross 



ternal surfaces at the mar 



which the spider dwells is 



less thickly with silken 



at the summit of the dome, 



the abdomen rests, appar 



ray of threads adhering to 



The cluster-leaf nest 



of Fig. 256. This was made 



tall grass, whose 



were so woven to 



shaped or " Lib 



figure<l. The lower and 



quite delicately spun of 



in place the graceful foli 



the crown of this dainty 



sconced, holding by the 



line which joined the snare 



Another nest (Fig. 255) 



rolled-leaf nest. It is a 



fastened at the 



the example giv 



between four and 



and wider end opened 



two-thirds of the distance 



tain (Fig. 257) stretching 



Cluster 

 Leaf Nest 



Rolled 

 Leaf Nest 



Fig. 



'\; 



255. Folded leaf nest of 

 Epeira insularis. 



Her tent is located always 

 ally to one side of her snare, 

 leaves drawn together and 

 gle leaf rolled up and tied 

 of nest shown at Fig. 254 

 ized as the cluster-leaf nest, 

 down at the free ends and 

 threads drawn over the ex- 

 gins. The concavity within 

 frequently lined more or 

 sheeting, which is heaviest 

 against which the ai)ex of 

 ently secured tliereto by a 

 the spinnerets, 

 sometimes takes the form 

 in a clump of weeds and 

 stalks, leaves, and blossoms 

 getlier as to form the helmet 

 erty Cap " domicile here 

 open part of the tent was 

 lines that united and held 

 age of the grasses. Within 

 nest the spider was en- 

 fore feet to the taut trap- 

 at the hub. 



may be characterized as the 

 large leaf folded over and 

 edges by overlaid lines. In 

 en (Fig. 255) the leaf was 

 five inches long ; the lower 

 toward the snare. About 

 within the tent was a cur- 

 from the floor to the roof 

 three-fourths of one inch 



along one side of the den. The euitaiu was 

 high, and one inch wide. Against this curtain the spider had pushed 

 the apical part of the abdomen. She was preying, when found, upon a 

 hornet (Vespa maculata), a very good proof of her vigor. 



It sometimes happens that the single leaf within whicli the spider is 

 nested will be stayed by lashings which unite it to an adjoining leaf. 



