THE LINYPHIAD/E 



137 



in which it is made, and the number and length of the sup- 

 porting threads vary according to the surroundings. The 

 spider stands apparently all the time under the top of the 

 dome. Insects flying near touch the threads above the dome 

 and, their flight being broken, drop down among closer threads 

 and, finally, to the dome itself, where they are caught by the 

 spider and taken through the meshes. Remains of insects and 

 other rubbish are cut loose from the web and dropped. The 



Fig. 321. Beginning of a web of Linyphia marginata. 



webs seem to be used for a long time, but if they are injured 

 a new one is soon made, either in the night or day, and the 

 remains of several old webs are often seen hanging flat and 

 torn below a new one. The dome is begun at the top and 

 extended downward by inclined threads, an inch or two long, 

 which are crossed by shorter threads in all directions (fig. 321). 

 The spider works very rapidly, but I have never seen a dome 

 finished, the spider always working a few minutes and then 

 resting a long time. 



