TYPICAL GROUP 



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The next tribe {Retitelarici) contains a host of spiders belonging to the 

 families Theridiidce and Linyphiidce, most of which are of small size, while some are 

 ttie smallest of all spiders. In structure they approach very near those Tubitelarite 

 which have no cribellum. The web consists of an irregular network of lines, or a 

 horizontal sheet of silk, but there is no tubular retreat; and the spider crawls along 

 the under instead of the upper surface of the web. The cocoon is suspended in or 

 near the snare, and no nest is built for its reception. Of the first family a well- 

 known representative is Lathrodectus tredecimgiittatus , which somewhat exceeds the 

 common garden grass spider in size, and is either black or variegated with thirteen 

 pale spots. Occurring in the countries bordering the Mediterranean, this spider 

 spreads its webs over grass fields, and lives largely on grasshoppers. This species 

 and others of the genus are much dreaded on account of their poisonous bite. The 

 Orbitelaricc , or orb spinners, containing the best known of all spiders, are 

 closely allied to the Retitelaria , from which they differ by the presence of a smooth 

 spot upon the base of the mandible, and also by having a narrow space between the 

 eyes and the base of the mandible. In this group the art of net spinning has 

 reached its highest point; all their claws on the feet being highly developed, while 

 some of the hairs on the apex of the tarsi are barbed and toothed to form a kind of 

 spurious claw. Such members of the tribe as possess a cribellum and calamistrum, 

 belong to the family Uloboridce, which contains the well-known European 

 genera, Uloborus and Hyptiotes. Both these spiders are adepts at the art of conceal- 

 ment; the former spins a shabby orb web in a hollow tree trunk and places of a like 

 nature, and leaves in its web the debris of insects that have been captured. It 

 slings up, moreover, a string of cocoons, extending across the web, and at one 

 extremity of the line, or among the dried carcas- 

 ses of flies, the spider takes its stand and harmon- 

 izes so well in shape and color with its surround- 

 ings as to be practically indistinguishable among 

 them. Even more interesting is Hyptiotes, which 

 frequents pine trees, and is a small thick-set little 

 species almost invisible on the bark. It spins a 

 web, triangular in outline, with anchoring 

 threads passing from each of the angles to sur- 

 rounding objects, and the triangular space filled 

 in with cross lines running parallel to the short- 

 est side, and traversed in the middle by a single 

 thread running from the apex to the base oppo- 

 site. Taking up its position on the long 

 anchoring thread which passes from the apical 

 angle, and close to its point of attachment to the 

 branch, the spider pulls in the thread so as to 

 draw the whole net taut, coiling up the slack 

 line between its front and hind-legs. The instant 

 a fly strikes the net, the spider loosens its hold 



Of the line, when the Snare Springs forward With Arrangement of eyes shown above. 



