NOWLIN : THE VITELLINE BODY IN SPIDER EGGS. 285 



found so abundantly in cellars and other dark places. Mem- 

 bers of this genus build irregular webs, and are convenient for 

 collecting, since they can be found at nearly all times. They 

 disappear very suddenly, however, when they realize an enemy 

 is near ; so I resorted to a means for their capture which proved 

 successful in every case. By striking them slightly with the 

 hard surface of the collecting bottle they drop from their webs 

 upon the ground and feign death. There they lie with their 

 legs drawn up about them, looking so nearly like a clod of dirt 

 that one has difficulty in distinguishing them. They can 

 easily be picked up from this position and placed in a bottle. 



An important thing in collecting spiders is to have plenty of 

 bottles or other receptacles for them. They are true cannibals, 

 and should you place two together you will find but one in a 

 short time. 



My investigations have been made mainly on Lycosx. These, 

 on account of their great size and early appearance in spring, 

 are especially desirable. The interest, too, attached to col- 

 lecting them has perhaps caused me to use them. They are 

 the very large, black, running spiders, inhabiting holes in the 

 ground. They measure often one and one-half inches in body 

 length and possess legs quite that long. Their mandibles are 

 powerful and make no slight wound. They are, however, much 

 more often on the defensive than the offensive, and I doubt ex- 

 ceedingly if they would attempt to do harm unless held or 

 pained. They usually pull away from the enemy, even at the 

 sacrifice of a leg. 



Lycosa tegrina is the spider found about the University of 

 Kansas. It makes its holes especially in the lower and flatter 

 places, where vegetation is not too abundant and does not grow 

 so tall as to hinder it running. I have found these holes 

 most numerous where the land is low, moisture probably be- 

 ing a desired condition. The holes vary from an inch in diam- 

 eter to one and a half or even two inches. They are from seven 

 to nine inches deep, and do not, as some think, run straight down 

 at right angles to the surface of the ground. I doubt if there 

 is much uniformity in their methods or directions of digging, 

 for those which I have examined have taken various turns. 

 The main course is vertical, however. Often the opening runs 

 obliquely for two inches and then turns downward. Classifica- 



