34 TENANTS OF AN OLD FARM. 



recognized the species. Observe tliat a pcgment of the 

 web is quite cut out at the top, through the centre of 

 which a thick line is stretched. This peculiarity is 

 caused by tlie little moihar [Cuftophor a caudata) \;\\(ii\ 

 she begins making her cocoons. She cuts out the spirals, 

 as you see, and in the clear space hangs a straw-colored, 

 pear-shaped cocoon, no larger than a pea. At first it is 

 a clean silken sac, but as the mother preys upon the 

 small insects that fall into her snare, instead of casting 

 out the dry shells, as is common, she hangs them upon 

 her cocoon, which is soon decorated with gauze wings, 

 shining black heads and bodies (Fig. 9) until the origi- 

 nal color quite disappears. By-and-by a second cocoon 

 is added ; a third and a fourth follow, and I once found 

 a string of eight. Each cocoon is treated in the same 

 manner, until, like a genuine savage of the (jenits homo, 

 the tiny Amazon has decorated her home and her 

 balnes' homes with the scalps of her victims. Ilei'c 

 she hangs on the hub of her snare, holding on to 

 the lower part of her precious string of beads witli a 

 little white ribbon woven into the net beneath her. It 

 was this ' scalpage' that enabled me to know my small 

 acquaintance so readily." 



Leaving our aboriginal Caudata undisturbed in her 

 wigwam to the full enjoyment of her cradles and scalps, 

 we resumed our walk. Finding myself presently alone 

 I turned and saw Abb}' intently peering into a pyramid 

 of grasses which I had almost trodden under foot. 



" Here is surely something of value," she cried. "At 

 first 1 thought it was an egg-nest of Bank Argiope, but 



