1881.J NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 115 



spider is as widely removed from the Domicile spider, as economi- 

 cally, the Ray spider is more closely allied structurally to the 

 latter than the former. 



V. Natural Habitat and Environment. 



The first specimens of Radiosa taken were hung in large open- 

 ings left between the breastwork stones of a very old mill-dam. 

 The wall had crumbled and quite fallen away in places, leaving 

 large cavities, within whose moist, cool shelter, among ferns and 

 mosses, this, with several species of spiders, had domiciled. The 

 brook poured over the middle part of the wall, making a pretty 

 waterfall ; briers, bushes, ferns and various wood plants grew out 

 of the wall and stretched over a deep pool 12 or 15 feet in diame- 

 ter, into which the fall dropped. On the lower bushes and 

 branches above the stream, and continually agitated bj^ the 

 splashing of the water, was a colony of Stilt spiders, Tefragnatha 

 grallator^ stretching their long legs along their round webs, and 

 dancing with the motion of the waves ; the beautiful nests of 

 Phillyra riparia^ Hentz, nests of Tegenaria persica^ Lyniphia 

 communis, L. neophyta, Epeira hortorum, and one or two species 

 of Theridiords, were in close neighborhood. The whole pretty 

 scene was embowered in a grove of young trees. A more charm- 

 ing habitat could not well have been found. 



Another colony, not far awaj', was established within the cavi- 

 ties formed underneath the roots of a large fallen tree, and 

 beneath the ledges of some rocks over which the roots turned. 

 In several similar positions were found the same nests, and also 

 among the rocks in a wild ravine through which ran the stream 

 Lownes' Run.^ 



Further explorations of the surrounding country showed that 

 the spider was largel^^ distributed, and in similar conditions. I 

 found numbers in ravines, on the broad leaves of the skunk cab- 

 bage, Symplocarpus (or Ichtodes) fcetidus, the snares stretched 

 over the brooklet, and beneath the shelving banks. They were 

 also found among the rocks of Crum Creek over the beautiful 

 drive to Howard Lewis' mill. The habitat of the Ray spider may 

 therefore be described as moist, cool, shaded cavities and recesses 

 among rocks, roots, beneath banks and foliage, over or near run- 

 ning water. 



^ Since writing the above I have found Radiosa in similar environment 

 at Mineral-spring Glen, New Lisbon, Ohio. 



