646 ARANEINA. 



the final circles at the outside, wallcing around on the scaffold- 

 ing previously prepared, which she gradually destroys as she 

 proceeds, until in the finished web only a few turns in the cen- 

 tre are left. The thread of the circles last spun is covered with 

 viscid globules, strung upon it like beads at short distances. 

 If an insect conies in contact with the thread, it immediately 

 adheres, and its struggles onl}' bring a larger part of its body 

 into contact with the web. Dust and seeds also stick to the 

 web, so that in a single da}^ it is often so clogged as to be of 

 no farther use. The web also becomes torn by the struggles 

 of the prey, and by wind and rain, so that it requires repair 

 or renewal ever}- night. In mending a web the spider usually 

 removes all except the outside threads, biting them off and 

 rolling them into a hard ball between her jaws, so tliat when 

 released it will drop quickly to the ground. This probably 

 gave rise to the opinion, sometimes advanced, that the old web 

 is eaten by the spider. 



'^ Wlien the web is finished she stations herself in the centre, 

 wliere a small circle is left free of the adhesive threads. Her 

 usual position is head downward, with each foot on one of the 

 radii of tlie wel), and the spinners ready to tasten themselves 

 by a thread at the least alarm. 8he often remains in her ho-e 

 with one foot out, and resting on a tight thread connected with 

 the centre of the web, so that any vibration is quickly detected. 

 If the web be gently touched the spider will rush into the cen- 

 tre, and face towards the disturbed part. She will then jerk 

 smarth* several of the radii leading in that direction, to see if 

 the intruder is a living animal. If this test is followed by the 

 expected struggle she runs out towards the victim, stepping as 

 little as possible on the adhesive threads, seizes it in her jaws, 

 and as soon as it begins to feel the effects of the bite, civelops 

 it in a silken covering, and hangs it up to suck at her leisure. 

 In spinning this envelope the insect is held and turned around 

 mainly by the short third pair of feet, while a flat band of 

 threads is drawn from the spinners b}' the hind pair working 

 alternately like the hands in pulling a rope, and wound over it 

 in every direction, so that in a few seconds it is so covered as 

 to be unable to move a limb. When a web is shaken by the 

 wind the spider will sometimes draw in all her feet towards her 



