the Family Ciniflonidee. 457 
The maxille and libium are like those of Uloborus. (Eloxt, fit 2h3) 
The spinnerets are long. The cribellum is small and not divided 
in the middle. 
The male is about half as large as the female. The abdomen is 
much smaller and the humps lower. The palpal organ is very large. 
The tube is long and slender and extends one and a half times around 
the organ, supported by the edge of a thin appendage. At the tip 
it lies against two small flexible processes and over them is a large 
dark horn. The whole apparatus is so large as to cover the patella 
as well as the tarsus. PI. x1, figs. 2¢, 2d. 
The epigynum is simple externally, but the inner tubes correspond 
in length to those of the palpal organs. 
The colors of both sexes are various shades of brown, covered 
with white or gray hairs. The markings on the cephalothorax and 
legs are usually indistinct. The eyes are surrounded by black rings. 
The humps on the abdomen are usually darker than the rest of the 
back. Dark markings follow the dorsal vessel and two or three pairs 
of its branches. Other individuals have the front, and some the 
whole back of the abdomen very dark brown. 
The web consists of four rays crossed by a dozen or more threads. 
The point where the rays meet is attached to a thread which extends 
to the spider’s roost, usually the end of a twig. Here it holds by 
the hind feet and draws the thread tight with the fore feet. When 
an insect strikes the web the spider lets go with the hind feet, the 
elasticity of the web draws the thread out with a snap, and slides 
the spider along it toward the web. When it reaches the center it 
feels the rays to find where the insect is, runs out on the nearest one, 
covers the prey with silk, and carries it out of the web. 
The making of this web is fully described by Wilder. Having 
finished the rays, the spider begins with the cross threads farthest 
from the center, walking along the upper ray until it is near enough 
the next to step across, then it crosses and walks outward again on 
the second ray. The new cross thread is elastic enough to shorten to 
the proper length when she reaches the point to attach it. When 
the cross thread is finished to the fourth ray, the spider walks back to 
the center and out on the upper ray to the point for beginning 
another. 
This spider is common all over New England and the Middle 
States. I have seen cocoons near their webs, like that described by 
Wilder, but have never traced it to them or any other spider. 
