MATEKNAL INDUSTRY: COCOONS OF ORBWEAVEES. 95 



object. (Figs. 75, 70.) I liave found what I sujipose to be tliis cocoon, 

 suspended by four diverging lines within an open space, as, for example, 

 in tlie post hole of fences, as shown at Fig. 77. The cocoon varies some- 

 what in color, being usually of a cream white tinted with green. The silk 

 looks almost like wool. The exterior is covered with little points or minute 

 projecting rolls, in this respect somewhat approximating the cocoon of 

 Uloborus. Within this exterior case are found the eggs, which are over- 

 spun by a slight flossy coverijig. 



The English species forms its cocoon in June. It is described as round- 

 ish, less than one-fourth inch in diameter, fine and slightly woven; and 

 is either whitish with greenish tufts, or greenish with whitish 

 The Bu- ^^^jf^g ypQj^ j^g surface. The cocoon is fixed to some object near 

 Species. ^^^^ ^^'^'^' ^'^'■^ contains pale yellow eggs.i This corresponds sub- 

 stantially with the account of Walckenaer, who describes the 

 threads of the interior as of a bluish green color, but the exterior as a 

 little browner in hue, and presenting inequalities as of little globules pro- 

 duced by the eggs.^ Lister also describes the cocoon, which he frequently 

 found attached to the joints of twigs and to the leaves of jilants. Thus 

 it was nearly or quite the first example of spider cocooning to attract the 

 notice of naturalists. 



V. 



Most Orbweavers habitually make but one cocoon. There are some ex- 

 ceptions, however, among them two species very common in the United 



States, viz., the Labyrinth spider and the Tailed spider, which 

 Spiders distribute their eggs in several cocoons, as does also Epeira bi- 

 g J furca of Florida. A rarer siiecies having the same habit is the 



Cocoons. Basilica spider ; Uloborus plumipes and Cyrtarachne complete the 



list of Orbweavers known to me to habitually construct a string 

 or cluster of egg sacs. These species represent groups having well defined 

 differences in structure and decided differences in the characteristics of 

 their snares. 



The genus Cyrtarachne is remarkable by the peculiar form of the body, 

 and is distributed c[uite extensively throughout the United States. There 



are probably two species, the Bisaccata of Emerton and Corni- 

 Cyrta- g^j.^^ q£ ne^tz The cocoon made by the two species is similar 

 , . , in general form, but there appears to be a marked difference in 



the mode of attachment. Moreover, Cornigera apparently spins 

 but one cocoon, while Bisaccata, as its name implies, spins at least two; 

 and I have had cocoon strings sent me from California by Mrs. Eigen- 

 mann containing three. Thus Emerton's specific name appears to be a 

 misnomer. I have a number of specimens; one collected by Dr. Marx 



' Staveley, " British Spidei-s," page 268. ^ ApU'rcs, Vol. II., page 207. 



