236 



AMERICAN SPIDERS AND THEIK SPINNINGWORK. 



the habits of tlie youngHngs of otlier tribes. We shall find that, in propor- 

 tion as the general habits of tlie species aj^proach one another, there is a 

 likeness in the behavior of the young. Between Lineweavers 

 Young ,^^^^ Orbweavers there is little difference. Their cocoons are com- 

 m ., monly suspended within the intersecting lines that constitute the 



regular snare. The little ones issue from the cocoon and arrange 

 themselves in fluffy masses, following the tendency, which has already been 

 noted, to climb as far towards the top as they can. Here they remain for 

 a little w'hile undisturbed by the mother and, as far as I know, unre- 

 garded by her. Soon they s^'in themselves away to various convenient 

 sites in the neighborhood, and establish housekeeping for themselves. Thus, 

 in the case of those spiders which weave several cocoons, one brood after 

 another will appear and disappear. 



Pholcus phalangioides, the " daddy longlegs " or cellar spider of our 

 province, carries her bundle of eggs in her jaws until the little ones are 



ready to liatch, when .she abandons them and they 

 take their place, in accordance with the custom of 

 other Lineweavers, at the top of the home snare. 



It will thus be seen that the young Lineweavers 

 reared witliin the limits of the maternal snare have 

 [irecisely tlie same habit as Orbweavers, like Epeira 

 lal)yrinthea, that deposit their cocoons near their 

 orbs within a supplemental snare of retitelarian lines. 

 The young of Agalena na;via remain within the 

 cocoon until they are lively little creatures covered 

 with black hairs, apparently well able to skirmish 

 saitigrades, Epibiemum seen- for tiiemsclvcs. Tlicy then issuc fortli, uud may be 

 icum, under bark. (After j.^^j,^,| -^^ ^^^ multitudes upou a dcwy morniug 



Herman.) ^ 1 .' t? 



hanging beneath little sheeted webs spun upon the 

 grass, leaves, ui)on the roadside, and even within tlie furrows of newly 

 plowed fields. They are i)retty little snares when thus covered 

 with the beaded drojis of morning dew, forming beautiful ob- 

 jects for study under a common pocket lens. 



Tegenaria medicinalis i)resents little difference from Agalena in the gen- 

 eral liabit of the young. They leave the egg nest, rapidly disperse, and 

 spread themselves into the neighborhood and immediately construct their 

 characteristic webs. 



The tendency of young spiders of the Wandering tribes to form colo- 

 nies is not very decided, as, of course, the manner in which the young- 

 lings are reared within the mother's nest until they are able to set up 

 housekeeping for themselves precludes such special habits as we find in 

 the assemblages of Orbweavers and Lineweavers. But when the young 

 Saitigrades have abandoned the maternal cell, groups of them may be 

 seen underneath a bit of bark occupying their own tiny cells, which lie 



Will 



Fig. 259. A colony uf yoimg 



Agalena. 



