122 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [Jan., 



cocoon; and so all the cocoons are made (frequently up to the number 

 of 6). Here the nest accordingly is later made a part of a cocoon; 

 probably other Epeirids that make similar silken nests will be found 

 to cocoon in much the same fashion, though I know of one exception 

 (Epeira benjamina Walck.). Sitting at twilight during a heavy down- 

 pour of rain beneath some trees for protection, I saw a female of this 

 species constructing the base of her cocoon on the under surface of a 

 leaf, at a considerable distance from her nest (the nest is a leaf curled 

 up and lined with silk). 



Feeding. — The female rests below her conical nest supported high in 

 the labyrinth behind the orb, and holds taut with her feet a line 

 joined to the orb. When a fly becomes stuck to the viscid spirals of 

 the orb, she quickly runs along the drop-line to the orb, kills it by 

 biting (without enshrouding it), carries it back to her nest to suck 

 it dry, then usually leaves the carcass hanging in the labyrinth. The 

 males that are upon the web of a female during the mating season also 

 feed upon insects caught in her orb, carrying the victims to outlying 

 parts of the labyrinth. 



Xysticus stomachosus Keys. PI. V, fig. 7. 



Individuals observed, males: No. 5, captured April 27, moulted May 15, died 

 June 7 on account of injuries incurred in an attempt to escape; No. 108, cap- 

 tured May 19, escaped May 27. 



Individuals observed, females: No. 4, captured April 27, moulted May 10, 

 died August 21; No. 109, captured May 19, moulted May 24, still living. 



Moult. — 9 No. 4 was found in nearly completed moult at 7.40 P.M., 

 the exuvia adhering then only to the spinnerets. She was lying upon 

 the floor on her left side, with her legs stretched out straight, and later 

 fell over upon her back. She did not rise until 8.03, and 5 minutes 

 later chmbed up the wall. This moult has not resulted in any regen- 

 eration of a leg broken off six days before. The old skin was in a dor- 

 sal and a ventral piece separated by a symmetrical horizontal break, 

 as in other spiders. 



6" No. 5 was found at 8.20 P.M., hanging head downward from the 

 exuvia, which was fastened to the wall; he did not move until 8.38, 

 and did not break away entirely from the exuvia until 8.43. 



Mating. — This was studied by keeping a male and a female in the 

 two compartments of a partition cage, removing the partition to see 

 the mating; the spiders showed that they saw each other through the 

 glass partition. 



c? No. 5 was placed with ? No. 4 on a number of occasions prior to 

 May 10, the date of her final moult, and on May 13, but he avoided 



