THE RAY SPIDER AND HER SNARE. 



203 



an insect strikes the snare, as at Fig. 196, ray I (broken ray), Theridio- 

 soma first "keys" the snare by twisting together the foot basket and the 

 l)arts adjoining (C), inchiding the end of the trapline. This 

 maintains the compact condition of the snare after the spider has 

 left the central point at whicli she has held all parts together in 

 the manner heretofore dcscribetl. Then the insect is sought. 

 Creeping along the axis of the ray upon wliich the prey is en- 

 tangled, she cuts away the cross lines as she goes, leaving the bare skele- 

 ton of radii, as shown, Fig. 196, I, marked "broken ray." The insect is 

 then brought back to a point (D) near the centre, but (in this case at 

 least) above it, where it is eaten. While the feast goes on, not unmindful 

 of future supplies, the .spider (S) clasps the adjoining axis and (C D) the 

 connecting lines, which appear to be in condition for operating somewhat 



Gradual 

 Oblitera- 

 tion of 

 Web. 



in the usual way. When 

 mer jiosition is resumed, 

 the net bowed and tight 

 After a morning's traji 

 been plenty, and general 

 the afternoon, the snare 

 one or two rays or frag 

 seen it reduced to a bare 

 one ray (I), and two f rag- 

 united into a new ray, 

 opposite parts of the orb. 

 orb may be eliminated 

 dii (i, ii) to operate with. 



Fig. 198. Ray spider. Halfot 

 orb eliminated and a new 

 trapline, Tb, formed. Ta, 

 position of old trapline ; i, 

 ii, remaining rays. 



the insect is eaten, the for- 

 the trapline clasped, and 

 ened. 



ping, if the game has 

 ly towards the middle of 

 will be found reduced to 

 meiits of rays. I have 

 skeleton. In Fig. 197, 

 ments of two others, are 

 and these are placed in 

 Again, one-half of the 

 (Fig. 198), leaving two ra- 

 The Ray spider was also 

 adopt a new trajiline, thus 

 This action is illustrated 



observed to construct or 



changing, so to speak, her base of operations 



at Fig. 198, where Ta is the original, and Tb the new trapline. This is 



not a frequent occurrence, as the necessity for changing the original line 



does not appear to arise very often. 



HI. 



Not the least interesting and valuable feature of the Ray spider's indus- 

 try is that it constitutes a connecting link between two forms of snare 

 . . which stand at the very opposite poles of the spinningwork of 



^^ ^^^' the Orbweavers. At the one extreme is the familiar circular 

 snare or full orb of the ordinary garden spider. At the other is the orb 

 sector of the Triangle spider. A glance at these will show how far they 

 are apart in structure. The same separation appears in the habits of the 

 two araneads. As opposed to Hyptiotes, the spiders of which Epeira is a 

 type hang head downward in the centre of the orb, with their feet grasp- 

 ing small groups of the radii; or sit in a .silken den, or crevice, holding 



