46 



AMERICAN SPIDERS AND THEIR SPINNINGWORK. 



and stood face to face. The male carried his head under the body of his 

 mate in a reversed position. He stepped aside, and the female with her 

 feet tickled the apex of his abdomen. 



The next day at 6 A. M. he saw a little web constructed by one of his 

 Argyronetas. He gradually filled the bottle with fresh water, whereupon 

 the couple began to work with extraordinary activity, and in less than an 

 hour's time had formed a cell which looked like a bubble of air and had 

 the form of a subterranean vault. The male and female kept together. 

 As soon as the cell was finished, and on the same morning, the female 



made a web at the surface of 



1 



the plant which had been in- 

 troduced into the 



^^® bell glass. Much 



Cocoon. ,,11 , 



to the baron s sur- 

 prise, she immediately de- 

 posited her eggs and envel- 

 oped them in a silken co- 

 coon. The cocoon was placed 

 near the surface of the water, 

 and upon the very walls of 

 the vessel. The eggs, which 

 were of a beautiful orange 

 yellow, could be seen through 

 the fine, white tissue of the 

 cocoon. 



July 29th, at six o'clock 

 morning, Walckenaer saw the 

 female near her eggs ; then 

 she ascended to the surface 

 and dived. The male joined 

 himself to his companion. 

 The two spiders gently rub- 

 bed the extremities of their 

 anterior feet one against the 

 other, having the air of ca- 

 ressing. Soon this movement of the feet became more brusque and ap- 

 peared menacing. The male, struck by the feet of the female, suddenly 

 leaped aside, but the pair presently sought each other anew. 

 They interlaced their legs, the one within another, and gradually 

 approached nearer and nearer, head against head. The man- 

 dibles were opened ; they flung themselves one upon another ; afterwards 

 recoiled, separated instantly, and sprang aside as if they had suddenly been 

 seized with fear. Thereupon the female returned to her position near her 

 eggs. 



Fig. 22. The subaqueous nest of the Water spider, Argyroneta 

 aquatica, within which the cocoon is woven. 



CaresS' 

 ing. 



