192 AMERICAN SPIDERS AND THEIR SPINNINGWORK. 



exercises no care at all upon her cocoon string. This is ordinarily stretched, 

 as may be seen by consulting Chapter IV., page 100, at a position some- 

 what i-emoved from her ordinary nesting site. It is true, her silken tent 

 is sometimes spun just beneath the lowest of the several cocoons which 

 she strings in a line one above another. But even in this case I have no 

 evidence that she exercises a personal vigilance upon them, or protects 

 them in any way. 



The known species of Uloborus also suspend their several cocoons 

 along one of the radii of their horizontal orbs. Hentz, indeed, says that 

 Ulolwrus mannneata^ watches her cocoon with incredible perse- 

 'verance, and shows great courage in attempting to defend it 

 against human disturbances. Fear seems to be wholly merged in maternal 

 solicitude, and as soon as the cocoon is torn from its place, the motlier, 

 having remained firmly attached to it, proceeds to secure it with new 

 threads. I have observed similar behavior on the part of Theridioid 

 spiders, who hang their cocoons within the limits of their snare, and may 

 sometimes be seen embracing them or stationed near them. 



Even this account may fail to assure one that the mother would have 

 repelled the attacks of natural enemies, and that she benefited her off- 

 spring by her stubborn keeping to her post. Nevertheless, it 

 Protect- seems to me a legitimate inference that the exercise of such 

 p maternal patience in vigil, and energy and courage in resisting 



attempts to rob her of her treasure, indicate a jjurpiose to pro- 

 tect the cocoon from natural enemies. Why does the mother so per- 

 sistentlj' maintain her position close by her cocoon ? Why is she ready 

 to undertake even such a hopeless venture as maintaining her egg sac 

 against the tremendous odds of a raiding naturalist ? These questions 

 appear to me to have but one answer. Motherhood • is on guard beside 

 the cradle of her young, moved by a natural impulse to protect them 

 from the possibilities of natural peril. Even though no one has yet seen 

 or recorded the actual defense of the vigilant mother against such enemies 

 as ichneumon flfies, egg loving spiders, etc., the circumstantial evidence 

 seems to be good that such defense must often occur. 



It is known that outside of the Orbweavers some sj)ecies of sjiiders 



do persistently brood their egg nest, or rather keep a close watcli upon 



them until they are liatched. I have already intimated that I 



., have seen this quite in detail with Hentz's Herpyllus ecclesias- 



ticus, and I have observed the same fact with Doloraedes tene- 



brosus. Mrs. Treat notes the habit of a Thomisoid mother, probably 



Misumena vatia, to remain near her cocoon, watching it with untiring 



patience until the young are hatched. Hentz also speaks of this species'-^ 



as watching its cocoon until the eggs are hatched. 



' Spiders of United Stiites, page 120. ^ Tbomisus fartus, "Spiders U. S.," page 78. 



