No. 2.] MENTAL POWERS OF SPIDERS. 41 1 



July 2^. — Experiments were performed with four females 

 of E. strix as they hung in their webs. 



Number one shook her web with sharp jerks when a branch 

 to which it was attached was moved ; and did the same when 

 she was hghtly struck, eight times in succession, with a glass 

 rod. 



Number two, when touched, dropped to the ground and lay 

 on her back, with her legs drawn in, for ten minutes. She then 

 moved, but upon being touched again became quiet. Tried to 

 pick her up, when she ran a few steps and then drew in her legs 

 and kept still. Repeated this several times. 



Number three, when touched, ran to the circumference of 

 her web and hid under a branch. On being touched again she 

 dropped to the ground and remained quiet for ten minutes, 

 then began to run back and forth on the grass, and after fifteen 

 minutes settled under a branch which touched the ground. 

 Had she lost her way? 



Number four, when touched, did not run nor drop, but hud- 

 dled her legs together and hung, apparently lifeless, for three 

 minutes, then ran to a neighboring branch. 



Jjily 26. — Finding a female of strix in her web we held a 

 vibrating tuning-fork near her, when she dropped to the ground. 

 The tuning-fork was then applied to her web, when she ran 

 quickl}^ up, probably under the impression that a fly was strug- 

 gling there. ^ Repeated this with six individuals of ^. strix and 

 E. labyrinthea with the same result. Then tried holding the 

 vibrating tuning-fork just over the spiders as they lay motion- 

 less after dropping from the web. They did not move. 



When a male of TetragnatJia grallator was touched, as he 

 stood in the web, he ran to a branch and there stretched him- 

 self out. In this position he was almost indistinguishable, as 

 his color was exactly like that of the branch to which he 

 clung. When the branch was gently shaken, instead of keeping 

 quiet, he ran a little way and then stretched out again ; and 

 this he repeated, stupidly betraying his presence as often as the 

 branch was touched. 



' Mr. Boys, in the experiment before referred to, found that after a spider has 

 been made to drop, by bringing a tuning-fork near it, " if the fork is made to touch 

 any part of the web, the spider is aware of the fact, and climbs the thread and 

 reaches the fork with marvellous rapidity." 



