118 AMKKR'AN SI'IDEltS AND TIIKIK SrINNINGWORK. 



In the group of Epeiras with hub moshcd snares, the most reniarkivblo 

 in ai>i)earauce is Epcira insularis. Tiie bright yellow markings upon the 

 back of the abdomen, and tlie orange legs with tiicir brown rings 

 The Insu- distinguish her as one of the most beautiful of her genus. She 

 lar Spider, ,^j^^,^jjj^ even greater size than Strix and Sclopetaria, and in the 

 ins^^is. ^'^t*^ summer and fall, when the female is full of eggs, appears 

 quite formidable, llentz named her from the fact that he dis- 

 covered her upon an island of the Tennessee River. She is however widely 

 distributed, having been traced as far south as Georgia and South Carolina, 

 through the great Middle- Western and Middle States, as far to the northwest 

 as Wisconsin, and throughout New England. She is very abundant in Ohio, 

 Pennsylvania, and New .Jersey, in woods, groves, and out grounds, and inva- 

 riably domiciles upon shrubs, bushes, and bushy trees, commonly choosing 

 a well elevated site, within seven or eight feet from the ground. If we 

 admit the identity of this spider with the European Epeira marmorea, the 

 distribution is vastly widened, and this tine species must be enrolled among 

 those which probably inhabit the entire northern hemispliere. 



The snare of the adult is a large orb of the type heretofore described ; 

 several measurements of which are as follows (in inches): 13x11, 14x14, 

 20 X 14, 14 x 14, 8 x 6. That which especially distinguishes In- 

 Snaresof gj^^ij^^jg fj-Qyi^ the foregoing group is the well nigh unvarying habit 

 of living in a nest of rolled leaves situated above the orb, and 

 ;ittached thereto by a trapline. Tills vai'it's in length according to the 

 size and situation of the snare; it will frequently be found about seven 

 inches long. At one end it is held by the sjiider's outstretched claws as 

 she sits within her tent ; at the other end it is fastened to or near the 

 margin of the bul), or notched zone, by a little delta of diverging termini. 

 These slightly pull up the centre of tlie wel) and thus tighten the radii; 

 the trapline itself being held quite taut, the motions of struggling insects 

 are readily communicated to the vigilant watcher within her leafy sentry 

 box. Just beneath the nest, and serving to brace it, may often be found a 

 wide and irregular netting of lines, communicating with surrounding objects 

 but rarely extending far downward toward the snare. 



The Shamrock spider, Epeira trifolium, received its name from the tri- 



foil or clover like markings upon the back of the abdomen, which is a 



whitish, whitish gray, or purplish color. The legs in the typical 



The fm.„j ;if(> ringed with black, and most species are so marked, but 



Sham- J j^.j^^,^^ taken specimens in which the legs were a uniform orange 



rock 



Spider '-■o^ot. The abdomen of tlie adult feiiiide becomes strongly marked, 



especially along the sides, with bright red. One individual was 



collected whose abdomen was tpiite white, but after a period of (■(infiucment 



gradually turned to a dull brown. .Vnotiier was well marked witii l)lack 



patterns, but also finally came out with .shades of red and yellow. The 



Shamrock spider is somewhat more robust in form than her above named 



