Superfamily Argiopoidea 



the spiderlings began to emerge; but did so immediately after- 

 ward. 



It is evident that the female protects her young. When a 

 pencil was inserted into a cage some distance from a female on 

 her nursery she ran toward it and clutched it fiercely, repeating 

 the performance whenever the pencil was put near her. 



The adults were not observed to feed the young; but young 

 ones were frequently seen to feed upon other members of the 

 brood. 



After the spiderlings had moulted, they left the nursery and 

 migrated. The period that they remained in* the nursery varied 

 from three to six days. 



Deserted nurseries of Dolomedes are common in late summer. 

 Figure 689 represents one of these in which the empty egg-sac can 

 be seen. 



Most of our common species of this family belong to the 

 genus Dolomedes. Several of these are of large size and often 

 attract attention. Some of them may be found in the dark in 

 elevated dry places; in most cases, however, their favourite haunts 

 are near water, and especially in marshy places. They not only 

 frequent the banks, where they run over the plants growing there, 

 but they also freely run over the surface of the water in pursuit 

 of their prey, and, when frightened, they dive beneath the sur- 

 face, and hide under floating leaves or other objects. An English 

 species, Dolomedes fimbriates, is said to construct a raft by lashing 

 together floating leaves. 'This raft is utilized as a point of 

 departure for raids upon water insects, and as a 'lunch room' 

 in which captured prey are fed upon. It floats upon the fens of 

 England, apparently at the sport of the wind" (McCook). 



The usual food of Dolomedes is insects, but there is one well- 

 authenticated instance where a spider of this genus measuring 

 three fourths of an inch in length and weighing fourteen grains 

 captured a fish three and one fourth inches long and weighing 

 sixty-six grains. The spider fastened upon the fish with a deadly 

 grip just on the forward side of the dorsal fin, and clung to it 

 till the fish was exhausted and then dragged it out of the 

 water. The observation was made by Mr. Edward A. Spring 

 of Eagleswood. X. J., and is described at length with a 

 figure in Doctor McCook's "American Spiders" (Vol. I. 



PP. 235-237)- 



603 



