-\rOULTING HABITS OF SPIDERS. 



97 



Fig. 61. Argiope moisten- 

 ing her feet after moult- 

 ing. 



though fimliiig the sort of relief that a human being does when he yawns. 

 (Fig. 59.) The limbs were finally extended to their utmost tension, the 

 respective legs of each pair being precisely opposite to and a little sepa- 

 rated from each other. (Fig. 60.) Shortly thereafter, still maintaining this 

 ])arallelism of the several pairs, the hind legs were 

 elevated, and then successively the others, until they 

 were all a little more widely separated than repre- 

 sented in the figure. After a few minutes repose 

 in this i)osition the legs were doubled up, and the 

 feet placed in a little circle upon the moutli organs, 

 as represented at Fig. 61. The colors of the "body 

 were almost the same after as before moulting, only 

 fresher and brighter, with the exception of the palps, 

 which were nearly destitute of color and almost 

 transparent. 



A female of the same species was found (Sep- 

 tember 6th) just after moulting. A rudimentary 

 web had been constructed consisting simply of the 

 characteristic central space, although the silken shield 

 was but slightly marked, and an irregular line of 

 straggling thick white silk represented the usual 

 zigzag ribbon beneath. This was suspended among 



surrounding grasses and weeds by sev- 

 eral radii so that it remained quite 

 firm, the whole structure being about 

 three inches long and two wide. The 

 cast skin was attached to the upper 

 part of this moulting frame, the feet 

 being turned upward, the claws holding 

 to the upper lines of the notched zone. 

 The corselet skin swung backwards, 

 showing that the spider had come out 

 in that way by pulling downward. She 

 herself was hanging to the lower portion 

 of the moulting frame in the usual man- 

 ner, her feet attached to the shield be- 

 low the moult. The rings upon the legs 

 showed white as they did in the moult. The animal when fully mature 

 does not show these rings, but the tarsus and metatarsus are generally a 



uniform black color. 



IV. 



A female Linyphia communis moulted as follows : The spider was 

 trussed upon threads stretched across a paper box in which she was con- 

 fined, her body at an angle of about 45°, the abdomen apparently resting 



Fig. 62. Argiope resting after moulting, sus- 

 pended to her silken shield. 



