GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF ORBWEAVERS' SXARES. 



53 



web by one who knew its characteristics. ^ In point of fact, we shall see 



that there are very striking diiferences in form and structure among the 



snares spun by the Orbitelarife. In the following chapters these differences 



^^■ill be pointed out and illustrated, and an attempt made to group and 



arrange the various snares in some natural order. I define an 

 Orbweb , , , , ^ . , ,. 



Defined, orbweb as a snare constructed of right hues radiating from a 



common centre, and crossed spirally, for the most i)art, l>y num- 

 erous circular lines, or lines forming arcs of circles. 



Tlie round web of the Orbweaver probably deserves the distinction of 

 liaving given the popular name cobweb to the wliole spinningwork of 

 spiders. One easily sees how the 

 Anglo Saxon word cop, a head, could 

 have been appropriately applied to 

 objects which, by their rotundity and 

 size, suggest the contour of the hu- 

 man face.^ The orb is the figure 

 which quite unconsciously rises when 

 one speaks of the spider's web, an in- 

 dication that it is perhaps the most 

 striking, although it is by no means 

 the most common form of araneal 

 spinningwork. Nevertheless, all orbwebs are not round, as will be seen 

 hereafter, hence the qualified terms of the definition given above. 



Orbwebs fall naturally into two great groups. Vertical Snares and 



Horizontal Snares. In Vertical Snares the orb is habitually perpendicular 



to the plane of the horizon, or nearly so. In Horizontal Snares 

 Great 

 Q the orb is habitually parallel with the plane of the horizon, or 



nearly or a})proximately so. The normal positions of these 

 snares are as described, and they often appear thus in nature; Ijut loca- 

 tion compels more or less variation. The exigencies of construction fre- 

 quently force such an arrangement of foundation lines as inclines the orb 

 to the plane of the horizon more or less sharply. Thus it may occur 

 that a true vertical and a true horizontal web may be stretched upon 

 nearly the same plane. The careful observer, however, will rarely fail to 

 note and allow for the peculiarities of the site which cause these deflec- 

 tions, and easily give each web its proper classification. 



Vertical orbwebs may be arranged under four subdivisions : first. Full 

 Orb; second, Sectoral Orb; third, Ray or Actinic Orb; fourth, Orb Sector. 



Fig. 48. A horizoiiUi! > 



• For example, I have collected, without much effort, quite a number of samples of 

 wall i)aper, into whose patterns the orbweb is introduced, showing how favorite a figure 

 this is in decorative art. Orbwebs also abound in embroidery and hammered ware. 



- The CJerman has kopf, the Welsh vo]), and the Greek nvi:!'/, kube. The word coli, Ikjw- 

 ever, has been applied to the spider herself, as a round or head-shaiied ol>ject, just as we 

 give the name "cobble stone" to boulders. 



