154 



AMERICAN SPIDERS AND THEIR SPINNINGWORK. 



in all orl)Wcaviiig species which make a comijosite web, either habitually 

 or occasionally, the mass of crossed lines is separated by a little sj^ace from 

 the orbicular part of the snare. This is the case with the protective wings 

 of Argioi)e, which are always so i)laced as to leave free action for the 

 sj)ider as she moves l)ack and forward between the orb and the retitelarian 

 lines on either side. 



Epeira gibberosa, the Hunchback spider, closely resembles Hortorum in 

 the sites selected for her snare. Like Hortorum the species is probably dis- 

 tributed throughout the entire United States. I have collected it 



Epeira 

 gibberosa 



in Florida, in the border and Middle States, and in New England, 

 and have specimens from Wisconsin, but none further to the 

 west or northwest. Its snare rarely diverges from the horizontal plane, and 

 is like the Orchard spider's in every respect, except that I have never found 



it with the apron or 

 crossed lines. Instead 

 spider has the habit 

 a netted hammock of 

 leaves of the plant uji 

 orb is spun. (Fig. 

 is sometimes woven 

 edges of one leaf, as 

 in the chapter u})on 

 derneath this ham 

 hangs back downward, 

 which is attached, at 

 the central part of her 

 her habit is related to 

 and Insular spiders 

 group. 



Fig. 145. The hammock nest of the 

 Hunchback spider. 



protecting maze of 

 of this, hoM'ever, the 

 of making for herself 

 lines stretched between 

 on or near which her 

 145.) This hammock 

 between the pulled up 

 may be seen figured 

 Nesting Habits. Un- 

 mock the Hunchback 

 liolding to a trapline 

 the opposite end, to 

 snare. In this respect 

 that of the Shamrock 

 and others of that 



Her Ham 

 mock. 



Sometimes she forsakes this position and hangs like Hortorum 

 underneath her orb, and sometimes I have found her thereon 

 witliout any such associated hammock nest. Gibberosa appears 

 to be less timid in disposition than Hortorum. At least, when 

 touched by my pencil, the Orchard spider would invariably swing awa}' 

 from her po.sition or crawl off to the outlying foiui<lation lines. The 

 Hunchltack, on the contrary, instead of forsaking her position, would only 

 turn around, shake her body, or jerk her trapline in a nervous manner. 

 Gibberosa lacks the bright silver markings of Hortorum, but keciis the 

 general green hue of legs and body, the color, however, being somewhat 

 darker. 



II. 



The genus Tetragnatha furnishes some of the most familiar and inter- 

 esting species of spiders making a horizontal snare. Our two most common 

 species in the Eastern United States, and proljably throughout the whole 



