THE TRIANGLE SPIDER : THE ORB SECTOR. 193 



rare, althougli tlie females are pretty common during the summer months. 

 Mrs. Treat found the males of our Triangle spider at home with the 

 females during two seasons. They were not in webs of their 

 o«n, but always in the upper corners of the nets of females 

 where the foundation lines are fastened to the trees. They were thus 

 opposite their mates, who were waiting beyond the apex, and apparently 

 were watching all their movements with great interest. This is the custom 

 with males of most Orbweavers during the jiairing season. It is a mis- 

 take, however, to suppose that tlie males do not spin snares. I have fre- 

 quently found tliem upon webs of the same construction and operated 

 in the same way as those of females. At one time, I found in a fir tree 

 a group of ten males, with their snares spun close together. 



A curious behavior was noticed in a Triangle spider observed in a pine 

 wood in the Allegheny Mountains. Numbers of snares were there found 

 on hemlock trunks and dead standing saplings. I cut the trap- 

 Rie-id't ^^^^^ °^ ^^^ ^^ these webs to see how it would affect the spider. 

 She was hanging at the time with her hind legs quite near the 

 trunk of a tree. Instead of dropping do\Aniward when the support of the 

 fore jaart of her body was broken, she simpl}^ settled backward a little so 

 that the eml of her abdomen rested against the tree. In this position her 

 body extended straight out from the trunk in a line at right angles thereto. 

 The fore legs were slightly bent and held but a remnant 

 of the trapline, which was greatly rufHed in the man- 

 ner of a taut string when suddenlj' untwisted. Both 

 pairs of hind legs in the meantime were holding tightly 

 to two short cords, one in each pair of claws, which were 

 attached to the tree by little conical clusters of threads 

 firmly glued to the bark. The sj^ider in this attitude fig. ise. Muscular rigid- 

 presented an odd figure, the like of which I have never "*' °'' Hj-ptiotes. 

 observed in any other species. (See Fig. 18G.) Her body was perfectly rigid, 

 although there was nothing to maintain it in position except the bracing 

 which resulted from the hold upon the lines above described. I watched 

 her for a long time, and she sliowed no signs of wearying or relaxing her 

 attitude. 



The auTount of muscular vigor displayed by the spider in maintaining 

 this position must have been very great, but certainly not greater than re- 

 quired to preserve the attitude which she assumes when holding her snare 

 ready for prey. This attitude she will maintain, without the slightest ap- 

 pearance of muscular tremor or weariness, for a long period of time. I 

 have never had patience to see how long she would thus hold out if not 

 interrupted by insects striking her snare; but I can readily believe that her 

 patience will endure not only for a day but probably for more than a day. 



We thus have a tolerably full natural history of this interesting species. 

 There are few animals whose habits better re^iay tlie student; but one who 



