, j2 PECKHAM. [Vol. i. 



jfiily 2^. — Four experiments were made with females of 

 E. bombycinaria as they hung in their webs. 



Number one, when touched, shook her web violently; when 

 touched again she dropped to the ground and remained still 

 ten minutes. She then ran among the grass and was lost sight 

 of. At the end of thirty-five minutes she had not returned to 

 her web. Had she lost her way? 



Number two, when lightly touched, dropped two feet, resting 

 motionless on a twig. After twenty-five minutes she ran 

 straight up to the web. 



Number three, when touched, ran to a twig and crouched 

 there with the first and second legs of one side extended on 

 the web. After forty minutes she ran back to the centre. 



Number four, when touched, ran to a twig and crouched 

 there, but kept one leg of the fourth pair extended on the web. 

 After fifteen minutes she was touched with the end of a 

 pencil, when she started on a rapid run. As often as she paused 

 she was again touched. She ran and swung from place to 

 place, stopping every moment to crouch on twigs; when 

 swinging she gathered up her legs. Her idea seemed to be to 

 keep quiet and inconspicuous. There was no suggestion that 

 she thought of feigning death. 



July 29. — A female of C. conica, at the approach of a 

 vibrating tuning-fork, dropped nearly to the ground and waited 

 some minutes before returning to her web ; but after this had 

 been repeated several times the fork ceased to be alarming, and 

 she paid no attention to it. 



A male of T. laboriosa, when caught in the "hand and then 

 dropped, fell on his side and remained quiet half a minute. He 

 was dropped again, and while he lay motionless first one leg was 

 pinched and then a second and a third. He remained quiet. 

 His abdomen was then pinched, when he ran away. 



August I. — A female of Cyllopodia cavata stood on a line 

 leading to her little triangular web. When touched she ran to 

 the nearest branch, and, dropping an eighth of an inch, gathered 

 her legs together and remained hanging, without perceptible 

 motion, for four hours. As she hung there, swinging in the 

 wind, she looked much more like a bit of dry leaf than like a 

 spider. 



A male of the same species was caught in a sweep-net. On 



