CHAPTER 11. 





MEMORY, MIMICRY, AND PARASITISM. 



I. 



An interesting example of the power of spiders to adapt themselves 

 and their industry to circumstances occurred under my observation in the 

 case of a Turret spider, Lycosa arenicola. Wishing to preserve 

 Intelli- jj j-jgg^ iq study the life historv of its occupant, I carefully took 

 genceand ,, i . • ■ .1 . C ■ -xi 1 



Memorv ^^^^ ^"^ contaniuig the tube, carrynig away with me several 



inches in depth of the burrow. The upper and lower openings 

 were plugged with cotton to retain the spider during transit. Upon arrival 



of the nest in Philadelphia 

 the cotton plug guarding the 

 entrance was removed, but 

 the other was forgotten, and 

 thus allowed to remain. The 

 nest witli the enclosing sod 

 was imbedded in tlie soil in- 

 side of a tub, and the spider 

 left to work out naturally its 

 industrial instincts. It im- 

 mediately began removing 

 the cotton at the bottom of 

 its burrow, and cast some of 

 it out upon the surface. But 

 finally, guided, apparently by 

 its sense of touch, to the 

 knowledge that the softer 





?#:^ 



Fig. 38. Cotton lined nest of Turret spider. 



fibres of the cotton would be an excellent material witli which to line its 

 tube, she put it to that use, and had soon spread a smooth layer over the 

 inner surface^ and ujjon the opening. In this manner the interior was 

 padded for about four inches from the summit of the tower downward. 

 It may be taken for granted that this Turret spider for the first time had 

 come in contact with such material as cotton, and had immediately utilized 

 its new experience by substituting the soft fibre for the ordinary silken 

 lining, or rather by adding it thereto. This nest, with the cotton wadding, 

 is represented at Fig. 38. The cotton was distributed quite evenly over the 



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