THE TENANTS PREPARING FOR WINTER. 29 



change the subject, " that spiders are nearly always 

 found alone. Do they never go in pairs or groups ?" 



" In a few species the male and female dwell together ", 

 you will sometimes see broods of younglings massed to- 

 gether in little balls, or seated on their webs in little 

 clusters (Fig. 4) ; you will even see large colonies of adults 

 as on the boat-houses of Atlantic City and Cape May — 

 each on an independent web, however (Fig. 5). But as 

 a rule Arachne, in her social habits, is the very opposite 

 of the social ants, bees and wasps. She is a solitary 

 body, and welcomes all visitors as the famous Buck- 

 eye wagoner, Tom Corwin, advised the Mexicans to 

 welcome our invading army, ' with bloody hands to hos- 

 pitable graves. ' Nevertheless the maternal instinct is 

 quite as strong within her as in any other animal. 



"Here, now, is our Argiope's cocoon. See what a 



pretty shelter-tent has been made by lashing these 



plants together (Fig. 3). Guy ropes of silk are attached 



to the cocoon at various points over the surface, and at 



the opposite ends fastened to the foliage. Thus the tiny 



basket swings secure amidst the most rigorous winter 



storm. Our mother-spider, indeed, might sing over her 



cradle the famous nvirsery rhyme : 



" ' Rock-a-by, baby, on the tree top, 



When the wind blows the cradle will rock.' 



•' However, there would be little likelihood in her case 

 of such a melancholy conclusion as the lullaby has : 



" ' When the bough bends the cradle will fall, 

 And down comes cradle, baby and all !' 



" You have doubtless heard of Indian wicker-work 



