Ixiv Journal of Comparative Neurology. 



color. From blue she became white and then, on being shaken, her 

 body turned a dark greenish brown. I then placed her in a glass 

 tube and graduiUy she resumed her blue tint. Whenever shaken, 

 however, she turned a greenish brown. I placed her in spirits and 

 her color remained a grey brown. 



On the same road later in the day, I noticed anotTier strange web 

 which bore even a stronger resemblance to a flower. 



The "foundation space" was the same as in the other, but 

 somewhat larger and stronger. The white silk ribbon, however, in- 

 stead of being disposed around the centre in circular zig-zag lines, 

 was extended in two thick white ribbons stretched crosswise along 

 four of the radii. In this instance also the spiral space was very open 

 and the spirals very delicate. 



The spider inhabiting this web was considerably larger than the 

 foregoing specimen, but appeared to be otherwise exactly similar to 

 it. Her body was very light blue, placed exactly in the centre of the 

 cross, head downwards, while her long legs were disposed in pairs over 

 the four arms of the white silk pattern. The whole thing bore a great 

 resemblance to an orchid, and the legs of the spider gave it just suffi- 

 cient stability for it to be taken for a flower. 



When I touched the web the spider immediately darted through 

 two strands in the spiral space and placed herself on the reverse side 

 of her web, being almost completely concealed by thick flossy white 

 ribbons. 



I captured this spider, and her body, like the other specimen's, 

 immediat ely turned a dark greenish brown. I did not, however, see 

 ner turn white. I placed the insect in a glass tube, and five days 

 later put her in a cage. 



I also took the web and succeeded in fastening the centre of it 

 on to a black card, where it remains in exactly the same shape as 

 when it was hanging on the bushes. I have this web, and also a pho- 

 tograph of it. 



The day after the spider was placed in the cage she made a web. 

 It was spun during the night, and I did not observe the operation. 

 The web was of the same pattern as the one on which I discovered 

 her on the bush. It did not have any circular zig-zag cords. 



This spider remained in her cage for four or five weeks, and then 

 I placed her in spirits. She was fed principally with flies. 



On one occasion I put a very large blue-bottle fiy into the cage. 

 The spider seized it immediately, violently vibrated her web, and at 

 the same time rolled the fly round and round between her legs. In 



