ARGIOPE AND HER RIBBONED ORB. 109 



ica,^ at least in the northern tier. Eastward it has been located in Texas 

 and at Tampa Bay and Key West, Florida, and is found scattered tlirougli- 

 out the West Indies'^ and the Caribbean Sea Islands.* Mrs. Eigenmann, 

 from whom 1 have notes and si>ecimens, describes the snare of Argentata as 

 about one foot and a half in diameter. The foundation lines are very 

 strong; the centre irregularly meshed and the notched spirals eight in num- 

 ber, the three outermost of the series being about twice as far apart as the 

 others. The spider rests at the hub of the orb in the position character- 

 istic of the genus as above described. The snare is decorated with zig- 

 zag lines and otlier thickened lines like those of Cophinaria and Argy- 

 raspis. 



One of the specimens sent me, a mature female, survived shipment 

 through the mail and spun three successive webs for me in a trying box 



or jar. In these the hub was sparsely meshed and the orb other- 

 Argen a- ^^.j_^^^ ^^^. ^j^^ usual Epeira character, with one remarkable excep- 

 l3( s Orbs 



tion, which, as it occurred in every one of the three snares 



spun, appears to suggest that it may be a permanent characteristic. In 

 ordinary orbs, it will be remembered, there is an open space or free zone 

 between the spiral space and the notched zone; but in these orbs of 

 Argentata sections of the spiral space immediately above and below the 

 hub were continued through the free zone to the hub. Thus between 

 radii 1-5, Fig. 100, the spiral lines were prolonged to the hub ; and 

 similarly between radii 10-15 in a position nearly opposite, at the lower 

 part of the orb, the spirals were prolonged upward. Is this a new 

 form of orbweb ? Were the three successive examples simply abnormal 

 modes of working in the notched zone, caused by the unnatural condi- 

 tions under which the web was made? These cpiestions can be answered 

 only by those who may be able to study the spider in its natural home. 

 The open section thus peculiarly intercrossed composed substantially the 

 part over which the legs of the spider were spread as she hung upon her 

 orb. Her abdomen hung free from the hub, to which it was attached by 

 a thread from one-fourth to three-fourths inch long. The spider's hind 

 legs clasped successively the radii 1 and 4 ; the third pair held by a little 

 pjTamidal pull up between radii 1-17 on the side, and 6-7 on the other ; 

 the two fore feet on one side grasped radius 9, and the two other side radii, 

 13 and 14 respectively, extending well down the spiral space. 



' Specimens received from Venezuela through the kindness of Professor Peekham. 



2 Specimens received from the late Mr. William Gabb. 



2 Specimens received from Mr. Charles H. Thompson, Swan Island. 



