TABLE OF CONTENTS. 11 



PART IV.— UNBEADED ORBS AND SPRING SNARES. 



CHAPTER X. 

 THE FEATHERFOOT SPIDER, ULOBORUS PLUMIPES. 



PAGES 



Distribution — Character of the Snare — Ribboned Decorations — Circular Decorations — 

 Snares in Hollow Trees and Stumps — Webs Among the Laurel — No Viscid Beads — 

 The Flocculent Spirals^Calamistrum and Cribellum — Position of the Snare — A 

 True Orbweaver 172-179 



CHAPTER XL 



THE TRIANGLE SPIDER AND ORB SECTOR. 



Hyptiotes cavatus— Her Favorite Site —Geographical Distribution — Construction of the 

 Web — Making the Frame — -Mode of Spinning the Spirals — The Radii — Tlie Floccu- 

 lent Spiral Thread — Using the Spring Net — The Coil of Slack Line — Springing the 

 Snare — Securing the Prey — Feeding Habits — iluscular Rigidity 180-194 



CHAPTER XII. 



THE RAY SPIDER AND HER SNARE : ACTINIC ORB. 



Name and Systematic Position — The Peculiar Snare — Bowing the Snare — How the 

 Snare is Operated — Springing the Snare— Locking the Rays— Wear and Tear of the 

 Web— Affinities with Hyptiotes— The Spirals are Viscid — Insects Entangled upon 

 the Snare — Genesis of the Trapline — Both Trail and Telegraph— Multiplex Trap- 

 lines— Natural Habitat of the Ray Spider — Distribution 195-207 



PART v.— MECHANICAL SKILL, INTELLIGENCE, AND 



EQUIPMENT. 



CHAPTER XIII. 



ENGINEERING SKILL OF SPIDERS. 



Geometric Arrangements Imperfect— A Wind swept Snare— Anthropomorphism— Counter- 

 poising Webs — Zilla Leaf Counterpoise —Professor Parona's Case — Meta's Counter- 

 poise — Special Adaptations — Swinging Sawdust Nest — How Labyrinthea Braces her 

 Roof— Pitching a Leaf Tent— Alternate Apposition— The Trestlework of Therid- 

 ium— Skill of the Speckled Tubeweaver, Agalena noevia— Dysdera's Tubular Nest— 

 A Silken Suspension Bridge 208-228 



CHAPTER XIV. 



MECHANICAL STRENGTH OF WEBS AND PHYSICAL POWERS OF SPIDERS. 



Size of Orbwebs— Modified by Site— Modified by Weather— Structural Requirements- 

 Strength of Snares— Webs that Entrap Birds— Argiope as a Bird Catcher— Endurance 

 of an Orbweb— Physical Power of Spiders— A Spider Captures a Fish— A Snake En- 

 snared by a Spider— Medicinal Spider's Snare— Theridium Captures a Mouse— Mr. 

 Hopper's Testimony— Hon. Proctor Knott's Testimony — The Conclusion— The Inci- 

 dent Proved— The Aranead Heroine 229-246 



