THE MICROSCOPE 



OCTOBKR, 1896. 



Number 46 New Series 



Objects Seen Under the Microscope. 



By chrysanthemum. 



XXXV. — The Fang of the Spider. 



The spider (Clubiona atrox) that we find in our out 



houses, is an interesting object for study. It has long 



legs, moves very swiftly and builds a compact cloth-like 



eb with a gallery open at each end for retreat in time of 



ager. Near such a web may sometimes be found a cast off 

 skin. Tliis is very suitable for examination under the mic- 

 roscope as every part ; the fangs, the palpi, the legs with 

 all their joints, -.^ -i-^h>^ii^, ^ ^^^^ cornea of 



theeyes, theen- >^^^^^^^^^^^^jnA, ^i^'^ skin with 

 every hair, — all ^^^^^^^^^^S?^Sl ji are here insitu, 

 with a clear- jir ^^^ ^^^ ^^^^^^P[i'| Qess and trans- 

 parency which |f -^^^^^^^^^^^'1 ^^ would re- 

 quiremuchskill ^ ^^^^^^^^^^ in dissection to 



obtain, if a living spider were captured for the pur- 

 pose. 



There are in front of the head two stout brown organs, 

 which arc the representatives of the anteunse in insects, 

 though very much modijfied both in form and function, 

 being used by the spider as weapons of attack. They 

 are composed of two joints, the basal one is the most con- 

 spicuous and consists of a thick hollow case of stiff chit- 

 ine, somewhat cylindrical, but flattened sidewise. Its 

 whole surface is covered with minute transverse ridges, 

 and studded with stout coarse black hairs. Its extremity 

 is cut off obliquely, and forms a furrow, the edges of 



