32G Mr. G. A. K. Marshall on 



(le la Soc. Zoo], de France, tome vii, 1894, p. 375) 

 gives reasons for doubting whether the hitter spider 

 belonged to the genus named by Dr. Butler, and he 

 supposes from the described form of " funnel " that 

 the " Lycosa," which does not make a web, was in 

 reality Agchna lahyrinthiea. Professor Plateau's fresh 

 experiments (1. c. § 8) on spiders, however, entirely con- 

 firm the results obtained by Dr. Butler so far as the larva 

 oi Abraxas is concerned. An Amaurohius ferox, which had 

 spun a characteristic web in captivity, paid no attention 

 during two days to three half-grown larvjie moving about 

 and entangled in the web. From the Professor's long 

 experience of spiders in captivity he is confident that it 

 was not afraid, and he thinks it probable that it refrained 

 from attack because the vibration of the web was not like 

 that caused by its habitual prey. It would have been 

 more satisfactory if this interpretation had been tested by 

 the offer of a few inconspicuous larva3. In the next ex- 

 periment four larvre were thrown into a large web spun by 

 a female Tcgcnaria domcstira over the roof-light of a barn 

 in such a position that the observer could watch everything 

 without in the least disturbing the spider. The following 

 is a translation of Professor Plateau's account : — " At the 

 moment of the fall of the larvse into the web, the Tcgcnaria 

 .... rushes at one of them and bites it, or at least makes 

 two successive attem})ts to bite it. The spider then leaves 

 the first victim and attacks a second, which she also tries 

 to bite, but the skin of the larva) being too tough and the 

 caterpillars rolled up and pretending to be dead, she retires 

 slowly, a certain proof to those who know the habits of 

 these animals that she does not feel any fear." After- 

 wards, when the caterpillar began to move the web, the 

 spider, " having learnt the usolcssness of her attempts to 

 bite, neglects tliem entirely and remains in her tube." 



Concerning this and the previous interpretation, it is 

 necessary to remark that no signs of fear were to be ex- 

 pected upon the hypothesis that the spider recognized 

 that the larva was uneatal)le ; while the suggestion that 

 the skin was too tough to be penetrated seems to be very 

 improbable. 



An experiment of the same kind was then made with a 

 female Tegcnaria, which spun a web in confinement. After 

 keeping the spider for three days without food, two cater- 

 pillars were thrown into the web. The spider rushed 



