126 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [Jan., 



the floor, a similar sheet-like tent; and on July 9 made her cocoon 

 within it. This cocoon was roughly quadrangular in outline and 

 flattened. It did not hatch. 



Care of the Young. — The cocoon is guarded by the mother, who lies 

 upon it and embraces it tightly with her legs. 9 No. 4 would not leave 

 her cocoon to secure living food during the first ten da3^s, but clung 

 tenaciously to it ; but after that she would leave it to chase prey, and 

 afterward would return to the cocoon, or at least to the silk sheet 

 placed before it. By chmbing many times upon this silk sheet she 

 gradually demolished it. 9 No. 109 at first held her cocoon zealously, 

 then neglected it for several days, and finally at this time, October 4, 

 is embracing it again. 

 Philodromus aureolus Walck. 



Cocooning.—A female of this species made 6 cocoons, on she follow- 

 ing dates respectively: July 3, 30, August 9, 21, 27, September 6. All 

 these were normal cocoons except one, whicli I disturbed in the pro- 

 cess of making, but the eggs of none of them hatched. The first three 

 cocoons were placed side by side at the angle of the wall and the roof 

 of the cage, the others at the angle of the wall and the floor. The 

 mother constantly stands with outstretched legs over the most recent 

 cocoon. 



Each cocoon is a flattened disk of rather loose white threads, and 

 the mode of architecture shows that the mass of ova had been laid upon 

 the surface of the lower disk (base), and then overspun with another 

 disk (cover). But a peculiarity is a third disk of silk, concentric with 

 but at a distance of about 2 mm. from the cover of the cocoon — the 

 final protection, on which the mother stands. 

 Prostliesima sp.s 



Cocooning. — On June 14, at 8.45 P.M., I saw a female just finishing 

 her cocoon, which was discoidal in shape. She placed her feet upon 

 its margin, and brushed her spinnerets from side to side across its 

 surface. This was her second cocoon, and at 10.05 she started spin- 

 ning again upon the wall of the cage, used her spinnerets as before, and 

 continuing steadily up to 11.50, when I ceased to watch her. She had 

 then made a thick silken covering, about four times her length in one 

 direction, and half so long in the other. But she did not oviposit upon 

 this surface, so that I cannot tell whether it was an abnormal cocoon 

 or not. 



'Mr. Banks wrote me that this species comes closest to P. insularis Ban-ks, 

 but is different from it. 



