THE MAGNIFICEXT SPIDER : DICROSTICHLS MAGNIFICUS. 9;^ 



On the 7th April there was a domestic tragedy, for a large 

 immature Orthopteron, noted b}- !Mr. H. Hacker as belonging 

 to the family Gryllaci'idse (locally called " a cricket"), was 

 discovered eating the eggs from the third cocoon. It had toiTi 

 away both envelopes and had also broken the top part of the 

 second cocoon. The spider was hanging close by, apjjarently 

 quite unable to protect its eggs. 



Ballooning. — On the 16th April, a fine moonlight night, 

 tiny spiderhngs (about 2 mm. in diameter) were found to be 

 emerging from the first cocoon through a hole in the upper 

 part which Avas just large enough to enable them to struggle 

 through. When they emerged they climbed to the top and on 

 to the surrounding leaves and roses. Spinning fine threads 

 which floated away on a gentle breeze, they were seen ballooning 

 through the air to start life on tiieir own account. Often the 

 tiny threads would get entangled and three or four spiderhngs 

 would form a httle constellation among the leaves. For the 

 next four days these small adventurers were still emerging, 

 mostly at night. Some were noticed to float up almost verti- 

 cally. Two or three were located on the upper branches of 

 shrubs on the other side of the garden, but all were eventually 

 lost sight of, probably being devoured by the omnivorous 

 sparrows. What number, if any, of these tiny aeronauts 

 survived, I dare not suggest. My observations on isolated 

 cocoons show that the spiderhngs are able to penetrate the 

 tough outer envelope of the cocoon and escape without any 

 assistance from the mother. Examination of cocoons from 

 Avhich the spiderhngs had all emerged sho\\ed that they con- 

 tained the debris of initial ecdj^ses. 



Spinning the Cocoon. — On the night of 21st April our 

 persistent watcliing and waiting Avere rcAAarded. Shortly 

 after sunset the spider was noticed to be busy, and quite a differ- 

 ent creature from the almost motionless object of previous 

 nights. She had chosen a perfect moonlight night for her 

 toil. At first her object was not apparent, for she was at 

 Avork among the supporting strands near the old cocoons. 

 By letting herself doA\ii she sjjvm a strand, up AAhich she then 

 climbed, taking it with her and attaching the line horizontally. 

 She repeated this imtil many sujaports Avere formed for 

 the dainty home of the neAv brood. Then the spider sloAvly 

 spun a A^ertical strand by letting herself doAAn from the 

 upper supports. Although thin, this strand aa^s, as Avill be 



