96 



AMERICAN SPIDERS AND THEIR SPINNINGWORK. 



An example or two of moulting as seen in special individuals will serve 

 to define more clearly the above general description. A nearly mature 



female of Argiope cophinaria was observed (August 19th) in 

 rgiope ^j^g ^^_^^| stage of moulting. When first seen she was suspended 



head downward to the central shield of her snare, as represented 

 in Fig. 58. The cephalothorax had already escaped from the shell, and the 

 dorsal part of the moult still clung to the 

 pedicle and stood straight out at right angles 

 to the body. The 

 abdomen was just 

 ready to escape, and, 

 indeed, slipped out 

 of the shell as I ap- 

 proached, and the 

 skin lay in a rum- 

 pled mass at the 

 end of the thread 

 by which the creat- 

 ure was suspended. 



Fig. 58. Fig. 59. Fig. 60. 



Fig. 68. Argiope in the last act of moulting. Figs. 69 and 60. Argiope stretching her legs just after moulting. 



The body was bent upwards in a hor.se.shoe sliajie, and the legs were 

 partly freed from their moult. A few paroxysms occurred by which the 

 legs were forced further and yet further out of the skin; then, first 

 escaped the first pair, then, in a very brief space thereafter, the two .second 

 legs ; immediately the third pair followed, and in brief succession the fourth 

 pair. The spider's body dropped downward, and she stretched herself as 



