BY AV. J. RAINBOW. 551 



against predatory foes; their nests, or pseudo-nests, in which the 

 cocoon is placed, generally consist of a leaf folded over, as in the 

 case of Cymhaclia festiva, or, as with Misv.mena pustulosa, with 

 the edges only partially warped over, and held in position by 

 silken threads ; in some instances the cocoon is attached to the 

 l^ranches of shrubs and trees, and surrounded by a series of 

 irregular threads; the cocoons are always white, and formed of 

 two plaques, the superior and inferior, but no foreign objects are 

 ever interwoven with the envelope; the texture of the envelope 

 or cocoon enclosing the eggs is closely woven, is exceedingly 

 tough and strong, and not easily torn; when the time for moulting 

 arrives, the spider casts its skin wherever it may happen to be; 

 with the exception referred to above, they do not construct a 

 retreat-nest, either for protection against foes or inclement weather, 

 or for ■ undergoing the process of moulting; and, finally, they 

 generally disperse when young by means of aeronautic flight. 



(Joiiclusion. — In the course of my remarks in this paper, I have 

 treated only upon the habits and spinning work of such spiders 

 as have come under my own notice and observation. From what 

 I have written it will be seen that the spinning-habits of some 

 are subject to what Wagner terms the "fluctuations of instinct," 

 as is evidenced by some species of Attidce. Then, again, there are 

 what are tei-med " deviations of instinct," and this is demonstrated 

 by the Epeiridce, some members of which do not construct an 

 orbitular snare; take for example our Gelcenia excavata and C. 

 (Thlaosoma) duhia and the New Zealand species of Arachmira; 

 the Thomisidce also furnish an exceedingly interesting deviation, as 

 is instanced in the case of the species of Misumenitice collected by 

 Messrs. Froggatt and Masters in the New England district. In 

 addition to this it may not be out of place here to mention that 

 the genera Celamia and TJd'Wsonia (the latter doubtless a synonym 

 of the former) are by some naturalists, as Koch and Simon, placed 

 among the Epeiridce, while by others they are regarded as belong- 

 ing to the Thomisidce. At first sight, and taking into account 

 their spinning-habit, it would appear that the latter family would 

 be the correct location. This was the view taken by the Rev. O. 



