.330 ./. H. Emerton — New Eiujland EpfJridcp.. 



ally less bright and sli!ir|). The dark marks on the sides of the 

 thorax, which are nearly concealed hy the hairs in the female, are 

 more distinct in the male and cover a large part of the thorax. The 

 legs are dark brown, lighter toward the tips and covered with dark 

 hairs and black spots. The palpi are very large iu proportion to the 

 size of the spider. The palpal organ is large and nearly all exposed 

 outside the tarsus. The tube is Hat and slightly barbed at the end, 

 and is supported by a long, thin paddle-shaped appendage, and a 

 shorter one with a thin tooth on one side. Fig. 14. 



This species makes a strong web, usually more or less inclined, in 

 grass or low bushes, genei-ally near water or on wet ground. The 

 middle of the web is usually crossed by a white zigzag band of silk, 

 which is of no apparent use to the adult spider, but when young 

 helps to conceal it, especially when the web is much inclined. On 

 one or both sides of the round web and within an inch or two of it, 

 the spider often makes a loose irregular web. The female seems to 

 remain all the time in the center of the web, making no tent or nest 

 for concealment. The male often occupies a corner of the female's 

 web, among the irregular threads to which he perhaps adds some of 

 his own. In copulation the male lays flat against the under side of 

 the female's abdomen, clasping his legs around it. While seeking to 

 do this he runs about lightly over the female, and if attacked by her 

 drops oft" the web to the ground. 



In September the female lays in a large pear-shaped cocoon with a 

 brown paper-like surface liung by numerous threads in grass or 

 bushes. Inside the ))apery surface is a mass of loose web surrounding 

 the eggs, which are pa(;ked (closely together under a cup-shaj)ed cover 

 attached to a thick stem of silk running through the middle of the 

 cocoon. From cocoons found unftnished it appears that the stem and 

 cup are first made and the eggs attached in a lump underneath, and 

 afterward covered with the loose thread. The young hatch in the 

 fall or winter Init remain in the cocoon until May or June. 



Common in Massachusetts and southward. 



Argiope transversa = Epeira fasdata Iloiitz. 



Plate XXXIY, fkjuhks 2(), 20-^. Plate XXXVIII, fkiuke.s 15, IC, 17, IS. 



This species is somewhat smaller than rlparia. Tlie cephalolhorax 

 is 5""" long and the whole body measures 15 to 20""". The first leg 

 is 25""" long. The abdomen is more pointed behind than in yi/xiri'i 

 and the markings very ditt'erent. The ground color is white or 



