196 



ARACHNIDA. 



or on plants and hedges ; sometimes under stones. Their web is 

 very large, nearly horizontal, and in tlie upper part there is always a 

 tube, in wliich the old spider sits concealed with immoveable 

 patience until some heedless victim foils into her toils. 



The Water Spider < Argyroneta*) is another member of the same 

 extensive family, the history of which must by no means be passed 

 over. This remarkable spider lives in stagnant waters, where it 

 swims about with perfect ease, keeping its abdomen enclosed in a 

 bubble of air, wliich shines like a little globe of silver. The female 

 constructs for herself a nest, a kind of diving-bell, in the shape of an 

 oval cocoon, which is lined with silk, and anchored to the surround- 

 ing plants by cables spread in all directions ; in this retreat she lies 

 in wait for prey, and places her cocoon of eggs, whicli she jealously 

 guards ; and here, also, she shuts herself up to pass the winter. 



Tiie Inequiteles, t or Thread-spinners, constitute a second division, 

 known by their webs, constructed of very irregular meshes, which 

 cross each other in all directions. These spiders garotte their prey ; 

 they carefully watch their eggs, and never abandon them till they 

 are hatched. Some of them (Pholcus 'plialcuigista) are common in 

 our houses, where they construct a loose web in the angles of walls ; 

 the female glues her eggs together in a loose packet, without any 

 covering, and carries them about in her jaws. 



Upon one occasion. Bonnet saw a spider of tliis description tumble 

 into the pit-flill of an ant-lion, which immediately seized upon her 

 bag of eggs, and attempted to drag it into the sand. During the 

 struggle, the silken cord whereby the cijcoon was attached to the 

 spider's body broke, immediately she seized it with her jaws, and a 

 tremendous struggle ensued, during which the spider together with 

 her treasure were bm'ied beneath the sand, from whence, however, she 

 was extricated ; but nothing would induce or compel her to qtiit 

 the dangerous locality where she had lost, apparently, everything 

 that she held dear. 



The Orbiteles,J or Net-spreading Arachnidans, construct their nets 

 with regular meshes, concentrically arranged, and supported by 

 straight cords that radiate from the centre, where the spider awaits 

 the result of his labours, generally holding on to the web with his 



Fig. 156.— foot of spidek. 



head downwards. No sooner is an insect caught in the toils, than 

 tlie spider, sometimes placed in the centre of her net, sometimes 



* &pyvpos, argyros, silver ; vqihs, netos, spun. 

 t Injequalis, unequal ; tela, a iveh. 

 X Orbis, an orh or disk ; tela, a web. 



