THE FLOWER SPIDER. 



During summer throughout most of the United States one 

 can scarcely study flowers in the field an hour or two without 

 finding one or more blossoms in which there is a small crab- 

 shaped spider, of a white or yellow color, resting upon the 

 petals or concealed within other parts of the flower. Often, 

 though by no means always, the white spider will be found 

 upon the white blossoms and the yellow spider upon the yel- 

 low blossoms, so that the. color resemblance renders the flat 

 expanded body inconspicuous. As the season passes the flow- 

 ers change, and these spiders choose new blossoms for their 

 abodes. In early summer you may find them upon the butter- 

 cups and daisies, while later in the season, thistles, sunflowers, 

 and other large blossoms are favorite habitations. 



Not infrequently you may see a butterfly resting quietly 

 upon a flower. You approach cautiously, thinking to grasp it 

 in your hand before it awakes from its naj). Suddenly you 

 catch it between thumb and finger and hold it up to find one 

 of these spiders attached to its body. There is the secret of 

 the easy capture : the butterfly is dead and was furnishing a 

 meal to the spider. There also is the explanation of the spi- 

 ders' presence on the flowers : they are lying in wait for the 

 butterflies and other insects that come to sip the nectar or 

 nibble the pollen of the blossoms. They lie motionless for 

 hours, until the unwary victim comes within reach ; then there 

 is a sudden spring and the insect is captured. The spider 

 sucks the juices of the body and drops the juiceless fragments 

 to the ground. A great variety of insects are captured in tWs 

 way, flies and butterflies seeming to be the most numerous 



victims. 



52- 



