134 



AMERICAN SPIDERS AND THEIR SPINNINGWORK. 



I present in this connection two of the earliest published figures rep- 

 resenting the spinningwork of spiders of this family, both of them prob- 

 ably belonging to the genus Clubiona. They were made by that 

 pioneer araneologist, Baron De Geer. Fig. 159' represents a leaf 



De Geer's 

 Figures. 



nest with the spider within it, woven on the inner surfaces of 

 birch leaves. This constituted the mother's dwelling and the egg nest of 

 her cocoon. The mother remained with most of her body concealed within 

 her nest, but her fore feet were held outside ready to seize whatever prey 

 might pass by. Fig. 160 is the cocoon separated from the enclosing nest. 

 Fig. IGl represents an apple leaf witliin the concave inside of which is seen 

 a white cell spun by the female of Araneus pallidus Clcrck ("Araignee 

 tapissiere ") , apparently a species of Clubiona. It serves as a dwelling 

 for the mother and contains also her cocoon, within which the eggs 

 are deposited and the young hatched. The nest was sketched July 2r)th. 



It was opened and the spiderlings found within 

 with their mother. The mother showed no fear, 

 hut stayed by her little ones closely, even during 

 the process of tearing open the nest for examina- 

 tion. - 



The Dysderads form one of the mo.st interest- 

 ing families of the Tubeweavers, and are especially 

 distinguished by having six instead of eight eyes, 

 six spinnerets, and four l)reathing holes. In their 

 general habits they arc closely related to the Dras- 

 sids, living in tubes or cells of silk formed under 

 stones in cracks and crannies of walls, fence rails, 

 old trees, and similar places. Our most common 

 species in this geograpliical province is Dysdera 

 liicolor.'' I liave found it in great numbers occu- 

 pying numerous interstices between the stones of an old barn in Delaware 

 County, and in the interspaces between door jaml)s and window frames of 

 the wall. 



Tubes of all sizes, fronr those of baby spiderlings to grizzled adults', had 

 their outlet upon the wall surface, at which points the tube widened out 

 into a rectangular margin or flap, by which it was attached 

 to the wall. The species is widely distributed over the adjoin- 

 ing fields, in fences, etc., and the accomjjanying figure was drawn 

 from a huge walnut tree that stood solitar}^ in a meadow. The trunk was 

 cleft by a longitudinal fissure twelve feet or more in length and from an 

 inch to two inches wide. The bark was stripjied oif along the edges of 

 this fissure, and within the crevice ten or twelve tubes were spun, extending 



l-'iG. 162. Snare and nesting tube 

 of Dysdera bicolor. 



Dysdera 

 bicolor. 



' Mem. des In.sect., Tom. N'lL, plate xviii.. Figs. 8-9. ' Idem, page 2(iS, pi. 15, Fig. 1(3. 

 ■■' Ariadne bicolor Emerton, New England Drassidte, page 38. 



