18(1 



AMKlUt'AX sriDEKS AND THEIU SriNMN(;\V(ii;K. 



centre," and " has tlie finer })art arranged in regular loops or scalloi)s (see 

 Fig. 170, a, b') in which separate fibres cannot be distinguished." 



The spiral lines, according to my own studies, 

 when examined under an ordinarj^ Jiand lens, 

 present a milky appearance, as though composed 

 of very thinly spun material. With a little 

 liigher power the supporting spiral thread is seen 

 passing through this milky mass. Placed under 

 a microscope, the line is seen to consist of-> three 

 strands, namely, the central spiral thread, and 

 two curled lines, which alternately cross and re- 

 cross each other above and below the centre, 

 forming the loops as represented at Fig. 177. In 

 this respect Mr. Emerton has correctly represent- 

 ed the spiral line of Hyptiotes. The two curled 

 lines seemed to me to be sometimes composed of 

 a flocculent instead of a smooth thread, and it is 

 this which, seen by the eye, or by a lens of low 

 power, gives the milky appearance described. 

 The above results I obtained from freshly spun 

 webs, whose clean silk was unmarred by use. 

 Other studies of this cross line, made from older 



Fif:. 175. Calamistrum of Hj-ptiotes. 

 (After Wilder.) a, tarsus and met^ 

 atarsus of fourth leg ; b, the claws, 

 open ; c, cross section of the meta- 

 tarsus, showing its cavity in which 

 lie the muscles; also a single 

 curved bristle upon the side, a 

 part of the calamistrum : e, a sim- 

 ilar calamistrum bristle still more 

 enlarged ; d, f, two feathered bris- 

 tles from near the joints. 



^■^- 



Floccu- 

 lent 

 Thread. 



Fir.. 176. Thread of Hypti- 

 otes, showing opposite 

 sides. (After Emerton.) 



spread out so fine 



snares, showed that it consists of one, two, or three 

 separate threads, around or between which 

 the fine flocculent material was twisted or 

 fastened somewhat as in Fig. 178. The lat- 

 ter presented a milky appearance, and was 

 that often no traces of independent filaments were observed. In short, it 

 was a very delicate, cottony mass, much wider at some parts than at others, 

 presenting in miniature something like the appearance of the woolen rolls 

 wliich, as a boj', I used to watch with intense interest as they passed into 

 the flyers of an old fashioned spinning wheel. 



In til is cottony mass one frequently observes a 



number of particles of dust, pollen, and various minute 



amorplious objects, which have been caught 



Bead like ^,p,j„ l\^Q sticky material as they drifted be- 



Append- ^^j,^^ ^j^^ ^^..j^^j ,^^ .^^ ^j^^ ^^^^ ^f ^]j^, ^^,^^ 



Fi<;. 177. Section of Hypti- ages. r tti i .1 i x ^1 11 



otcs' snare, to show the ar- of Uloborus, tlicy presciit to tlic casual ob- 



rangcmentofthefloccuient scrvcr, eveu whcn looked at by a common magnifying 



thread. Greatly magnified. ,.11 ^■ iii 



lens, the ai)pcarance of beads upon the ordinary thread 

 of Epeira. It is not strange, therefore, that nikny have been deceived and 

 led to suppose that the Triangle spider makes a beaded web. The true 



' Cobwebs of Uloborus, Am. Jour. Sci., 1883, page 205. Also New England Spiders of 

 the Family C'iniflonida", PI. XI. 



