Notice of the Aranea aculeata, <£•<?. 61 



In viewing most objects with blue or purple light, it is necessary to 

 cause the light to pass through a surface of ground glass, which should 

 be placed one or two tenths of an inch further from the object-glass 

 of the microscope than the object viewed. 



Cayuga County, New York, June 16, 1830. 



Art. IX. — Notice of (he Aranea aculeata, the Phalcrna antiqua 

 and some species of the Papilio ; by Miss D. L. Dix, of Boston. 



Aranea aculeata. 



I last summer discovered an insect in Rhode Island which I have 

 seen elsewhere, and of which I have read no description. It is of a 

 species belonging to the large family Aranea, bearing a strong re- 

 semblance to that designated by Fabricius as the Aranea aculeata; 

 I think it belongs to the genus Epeira distinguished by having its 



eyes arranged in this manner «* * ^ • It spins and weaves a 



geometrical web, remarkably delicate and prismatic. The body of 

 this insect forms a solid equilateral triangle ; one plane of which 

 forms the back, curiously marked with unequal chesnut brown and 

 yellow spots ; the sides of the angle measure one third of an inch ; 

 the head is connected to one apex of this angular plane, — the others, 

 each terminate in a sharp thorn ; — on the apex of the abdomen are 

 situated the organs from which the web is drawn. The whole body 

 is encased in a smooth hard shell,— and so singular is the whole ap- 

 pearance of the insect that it was some time before I could even de- 

 cide whether it belonged to the class of spiders ; — it is singular- 

 ly timid and inoffensive ; — if disturbed in its web, it quickly falls to 

 the ground, where it remains motionless till the danger has passed. I 

 confined eight in a glass vessel ; — they seemed terrified when coming 

 in contact with each other and held themselves as widely divided 

 as the circumscribed limits of their prison would permit. While in 

 confinement they spun with great industry, apparently with the pur- 

 pose of concealing themselves, for now their webs were cast closely 

 and irregularly together, in every possible direction, after the man- 

 ner of the weavers. This spider is found in the woods, upon low 

 shrubs. The last summer they were much less numerous than the 

 preceding season. 



