"296 AMERICAN SPIDERS AND THEIR SI'IXNINGWORK. 



think she had a good chance to escape. Tlie male in the meantime fre- 

 quently lost sight of the female. He would then mount to the top of the 

 box or jar upon which he found himself, and, raising his head, would 

 take a comprehensive view of surrounding objects. Here he would remain 

 until he caught sight of the female, which he often did at a distance of 

 at least ten inches, when he would at once leap rapidly after her.^ 



These observations certainly show u well developed power of vision, 

 sufficient at least for all purposes of the active life led by these wandering 

 Saltigrades. They eunfirm the opinion elsewhere expressed in this work 

 (Volume I., page 19), that individuals of this tribe possess more highly 

 developed vision than those of anj' others. One miglit almost infer this 

 from the appearance of their eyes, the seeming ex[)ression which rests 

 upon their faces, and the general intelligence that marks their demeanor 

 and movements. 



Sir John Lubbock appears to have tested the experiment made by the 

 Peckhams upon sight of sjjiders. Lj'cosa saccata, a familiar Euro}iean 

 species, was selected for his oljservations. A femak; from whom 

 ^^"' an egg sac was removed was placed upon a table, about which 



„ . she ran for a while as though lookinji for her eggs. When she 

 ments became still, the cocoon 'was placed about two inches in front 

 of her. She evidently did not see it. It was gradually i)uslied 

 towards her, but she took no notice until it nearly touched her, when she 

 eagerly seized it. 



The cocoon was again removed, put in the middle of the table, from 

 which all other objects had been taken. The spider wandered about, some- 

 times passed close to the egg sac, but took no notice of it. She spent 

 an hour and fifty minutes in this aimless wandering before she found the 

 cocoon, and then apparently l_)y accident. A third time it was removed, 

 jilaced upon the table as before, and an hour was spent in wandering l)efore 

 it was discovered. The experiment was tried with other individuals, and 

 with the same results. Sir John's conclusion is that " it certainly appeared 

 as if they could not see more than half an inch before them ; in fact, 

 scarcely further than the tips of their feet."- 



It is impossible, however, to admit the explanation wliich the learned 

 author has made of this inability promptly to recognize the cocoon. "It 

 must be remembered," he says, "that the sac is spun from the spinnerets, 

 and tliat the Lycosid perhaps had never seen the bag of eggs." On the 

 contrary, the manner in which the Lycosid prepares her round cocoon, 

 as it lias been c^uite fully shown and described by myself,'^ compels 

 the conclusion that the mother Lycosa lias perceived lier cocoon both by 

 the touch of sense and sight from the beginning of its fabrication to the 



' Mental Powers of Spiders, pafje 40u'. 



- .Senses, Instincts, and Intelligence of Animals, 188S, page 179. 



^ See Chapter V., page 144. 



