127 



riable markings ; joints of the feet tipped with dusky. There 

 are also two tubercles on the disc of the abdomen which become 

 obsolete in many, probably when the body is full of eggs. 



Male, rufous ; cephalothorax piceous ; abdomen Avith two 

 white dots and a white band above, which are wanting in some, 

 and two white dots underneath ; tip of anterior thighs black. 



Observations. The variations in the form of this spider, and 

 the difference between the sexes, has caused me to describe 

 three species which must be referred to one. It makes a ver- 

 tical web, on which it attaches its cocoons in a row, sometimes 

 as many as five in number. These are of a brownish color, ellip- 

 tical, and covered with the remains of the insects [24] which 

 have been devoured by the spider. On examining five of these 

 cocoons attached to the same web, young spiders were found 

 already hatched in the lowest one ; those above contained eggs 

 not glued together. Whenever this spider is threatened, it im- 

 parts to its web a rapid oscillation, which causes the eye to lose 

 sight of it. This is probably intended to escape destruction 

 from the birds. The male never was seen with a web of his 

 own, but was often found wandering. 



Habitat. Common throughout the United States. 



[PI. 18, fig. 54, eyes ; fig. 96, lip and mandibles. PI. 19, 

 fig. 116, lateral view of body; fig. 132, web and cocoons. 

 Legs arranged 1. 2. 4. 3., or 1. 2. 4. 3. Su]jph7nent.~\ 



[?, length 5.3 mm.; cephalothorax 1.8 mm.; legs 6.5, 5.5, 3.8, 5.4. 

 e, " 4.5 mm.; " 2 mm.; " 7,5.5,4,5.4. 



PI. 21, fig. 7, palpus of d". 



Male much like, the female. The male figured by Hentz must belonf" to 

 a different species. 



Peabody, Mass., Apr. 28, half grown young in imperfect webs; Beverly, 

 Mass., May 10, young, in webs, no adults; July 16, in webs with string of 

 rubbish across the centre ; Aug. 21, young in web; Peak's Island, Portland, 

 Me. ; Providence, R. I. ; Albany, N. Y. (Ohio, ?, Wm. Holden.) 



Epeira conica Walck., Apteres. 



Cyclosa conica Menge, Pz-eussiche Splnnen. j. H. E.] 



