336 A New Jumping Spider. [zoe 



motion. Often, when sitting in the garden, I have had one ahght 

 on my book, crawl to the top of my uplifted finger or pencil, and fly 

 away on its web or make it a bridge to some other and usually 

 higher point. The way of getting upon the breeze is in principle the 

 same as with all other flyers. Arrived at the top of an elevation, the 

 spider raises the spinnerets and^emits a thread, which the wind is al- 

 lowed to carry far enough to bear. If this is successful, it flies, but 

 if the thread catches, it simply fastens it where it stands, draws it in, 

 as it were hand over hand, until taut, and then crawls upon it to the 

 other attachment- In most cases the fly-line flows from the posterior 

 spinnerets, while from the anterior pair another thread is drawn, and 

 fastened to the point upon which the insect stands, so that it has a 

 returning line if the flying, at first successful, should afterward end 

 in failure. If the fly-line catches, the extra line simply strengthens 

 the first end of it, or aflbrds return, should it break. 



It can easily be seen that this way of traveling must be exceedingly 

 advantageous to these spiders, not only because of the ease and 

 speed which the web bridge allows, in crossing water, desert places, 

 patches of grass or clover and other obstructed routes, but also 

 because of the much greater speed and safety afforded by actual flight. 

 With spiders, as with men, however, the easiest and speediest ways 

 are most likely to be disastrous, as is shown in the following instance, 

 which illustrates as well the instinctive endowment enabling this 

 spider to overcome its natural enemies. 



On a bright morning several years ago a pet lizard lay sunning 

 himself on a table in the yard, when a partly grown specimen of this 

 spider came sailing along and dropped down directly in front of him. 

 For a second or two the spider, unconscious of the great impending 

 danger, looked about in the seemingly intelligent way peculiar to 

 Attid^e. The lizard, as yet sluggish and unawakened, was pushed 

 toward it. Instantly the careless attitude of the spider was changed 

 for the strategic; facing its enemy, it slowly, almost imperceptibly, 

 drew in its legs until it looked more like a tiny chip or the top 

 of a polished nail-head than like a spider. The saurian was then 

 moved around behind; (^neohis, with fixed eyes and cautious move- 

 ments, turned to face him still. I put my fingers just behind the 

 spider, but it chose to face the greater, and, from the spider stand- 

 point, more imminent foe, and kept its eyes on the lizard. Alter 

 testing in various ways without touching it, I now slightly pushed 



