THE SENSES AND THEIR ORGANS. 289 



light. I liave alwaj's found it lianoing on the central shielil of its web in 

 broad daylight and at all hours of the day. Its eyes are a light yellow 

 color. Tiie same is true of Argiope argyras])is. Acrosonia rugosa I have 

 alwaj's found upon its web in daytime. Tliis is a wood loving species, ^ut 

 commonly spins its web in open places. Its eyes are light gray, the mid- 

 dle front pair having a little darker shade. Epeira labyrinthea is also a 

 diurnal spider, selecting, as a rule, a i^osition upon branches stripped of 

 foliage or dead limbs. Its rear eyes are liglit colored, pearl gray or a del- 

 icate amber, but those of the front row are black. Epeira insularis habit- 

 ually occupies its nest of sewed leaves during the daytime and often at 

 night also, but it takes prey quite freely during all hours of the day. Its 

 eyes are all light colored. Two gravid specimens of this species which I 

 examined had ej'es decidedly lighter than other specimens, and the ques- 

 tion occurred to me whether it might not be that the color of the eyes is 

 affected during the period of gestation. I had not sufficient specimens, 

 however, to follow this inquiry, which, pei'haps, is not worthy of further 

 attention. 



The eyes of Linyphia weyerii, which I have examined from several 

 specimens received from Luray Cave, are of light color, the two central 

 eyes being white. The latter is a marked variation from the general con- 

 dition of this jiair of eyes, wliich appear to be darker, as a rule, in all 

 terrestial species, and to be obliterated in some cavern fauna. 



I submitted a few European species to a similar examination.' Tetrag- 



natha extensa (Russia) has the side eyes a yellowish brown, the side rear 



eyes of lighter liue than the side front. The midrear ej^es are 



„ ^^F dark yellow, and the midfront eyes are darkest of all. Eiieira 

 Species. J ' J I 



sclopetaria (Ireland) has the side eyes light colored, the rear eyes 

 being lightest. The midrear eyes are a dark yellow, and the midfront 

 darkest of all. Epeira sclopetaria of Russia is colored in the same way. 

 Epeira quadrata (Russia) has the side rear eyes light colored, the side front 

 eyes a little darker hue, and the front eyes tolerably dark. Epeira dia- 

 demata (Russia) has the rear eyes brownish yellow, the front eyes a darker 

 hue of yellow, and the front side eyes a darker yellow, and the midfront 

 eyes darkest of all, almost black. 



None of the above species can be classified as nocturnal in tiieir habits, 

 although all of them, of course, are able to capture prey at night. Tet- 

 ragnatha extensa and Epeira sclopetaria are continually seen upon tiieir 

 webs in broad daylight. Epeira quadrata and Epeira diademata belong to 

 nesting species, having habits similar to our Epeira insularis and trifolium. 

 They live in dome shape<l tents, roofed and walled by clustered leaves or 

 by a single rolled leaf. Tiieir faces are towards the opening, looking upon 



' The Russian species were received from Mr. Waldemar Wagner, of Moscow, and the 

 British species were collected partly by myself and partly by Mr. Thomas Workman, of 

 Belfast. 



