1903.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 113 



(2) $No. 153: June 2 (hatched June 27), June 8 (hatched August 

 14), June 15 (hatched July 17). A total of 3 cocoons. 



(3) 9 No. 176: June 15, 26 (hatched July 16), July 10 (hatched July 

 30), 16, 27, 31, August 5, 15, 21, 28. A total of 10 cocoons. 



Care of Young, Feeding Habits. — I found no indications of maternal 

 guarding of the cocoons or young, but the mother appears indifferent 

 to both. It is the habit of this species, after sucking a victim dry, to 

 cut it loose from the web, and at such times a cocoon is sometimes cut 

 loose also, and then not raised again into the web. This species is 

 very courageous and rushes at large flies, quickly enshrouding them 

 with silk, which is applied with the fourth pair of legs ; sometimes the 

 struggling victim chances to be in contact with a cocoon, and then the 

 spider frequently enshrouds both together. The young cut their own 

 way out of the cocoons. 



Steatoda marmorata (Hentz). 



One male and five females were kept in cages. 



Mating. — d^ No. 46 was placed upon the web of a female, both re- 

 mained motionless for a while, then she killed him. Another female 

 killed an introduced male of S. borealis (Hentz), 



Cocooning. — This was seen only once, and only the end of the pro- 

 cess observed. At 7.30 A.M., May 28, I found that a female had ovi- 

 posited upon a mass of silk, and was then engaged in spinning over it. 

 The spider held to the cocoon with her feet, and spun upon it (not using 

 the legs to apply the thread) by attaching the spinnerets at one point, 

 elevating them, and applying them again close to the first point of 

 attachment, thus forming looped threads; in one minute I counted 

 22 such applications of the spinnerets. The spider in spinning slowly 

 rotates around the cocoon. The cocoon is suspended in the web, white 

 in color, spherical and rather loosely made. In no case were more 

 than 2 cocoons made. 



Feeding Habits. — This species is relatively very powerful and coura- 

 geous, and quickly overcomes its victims by discharging upon them a 

 thread that is remarkably viscid and tenacious; minute viscid drops 

 can be seen upon this thread with the naked eye. This is a process 

 of enshrouding that consists, not in WTapping the victim in threads, 

 but rather in pouring out the very sticky secretion upon it. The spider 

 stands upon her first two pairs of legs with her posterior end toward 

 the object of prey, and applies the viscid thread to the latter with 

 her other legs. 

 8 



