68 



AMERICAN SPIDERS AND THEIR SPINNINGWORK. 



brunching twigs. As with the foriULT iuilividual, so with this; many efforts 

 were made to obtain foundations by sending out threads from the spinner- 

 ets, and to this end he tried most of the numerous points of the twigs cov- 

 ering the territory wliich lie seemed to have chosen as liis general range. 



One of these, a little pendant, which hung in the centre of the group, 

 was taken as the basis of a most interesting ojieration. The spider dropped 

 from the pendant by a line three or four inches long, grasped the 

 „ , , line by one of the second pair of feet, and rapidly formeil a tri- 

 angular basket of threads by connecting the point of seizure with 

 lines reaching to the feet of the remaining second leg and the third and 

 fourth jtairs. (See Fig. 64.) In this basket lie hung head upward, the 

 liody held at an angle of about 45°, the two fore feet meanwhile stretched 

 out, and groping in the air, as though feeling for the presence of obstruc- 

 tions, of enemies, or of floating threads. At the same time he elevated his 



spinners and emitted a line which was drawn out 

 at great length by the air, but secured no en- 

 tanglement. The body of the spider had a gen- 

 tle lateral oscillation that appeared to the observer 

 to result from a voluntary twisting of the central 

 rope by the animal, but may have been caused 

 by the air ; the effect was to give the outjuit line 

 a wider swing, and mucii increase the. chance of 

 entanglement. 



However, there was no entanglement, and the 

 spider dropped several inches further down and 

 repeated the process as described above. This was 

 repeated again and again, and when I allowed the 

 line to attach to my person the spider at once 

 proceeded to satisfy himself of the fact, and then to venture a crossing. 

 In all these actions there were evidences of an habitual mode of securing 

 transit by bridge lines. Since the first observation of this most interest- 

 ing habit I have frequently seen the construction of these "baskets" or 

 "hammocks" l)y adults of various sj)ccies, and for a similar purpose by 

 baby spiderlings reared indoors and colonized. 



I had supposed, for several years, that the observation and record of 

 tills use of a swinging basket was original with myself, until one day read- 

 ing Master Jonathan Edwards' description of flying spiders. I 

 The Ob- ^.jjg surprised there to note that this remarkable character, when 

 Antici- '^^^^ '^ child, had probably anticipated me by one hundred and 

 pated. sixty years. I quote his language, and reproduce his rude fig- 

 ures, which while perhaps leaving the matter in doubt to the 

 ordinary reader, will doubtless satisfy an arachnologist that the nimble- 

 witted lad really saw this interesting habit : " I have been so hajjpy as very 

 frequently to see their manner of working; that when a spider would go 



Fk:. 64. The swinging basket used 

 in issuing trial cables. 



