OKNKKAL COt!OONIN(i IIAHITS OK SI'I HKISS. I .',.", 



from Mr. Clarence P. Franklin, of Philadelphia, who made :m rxplora- 

 tion of that cavern in order to collect the fauna living therein. Among 

 the specimens collected and submitted to me an; two' which 

 Cave 7 a PP ar also to be Linyphia weyeri, and toe |>robal.ly idmtical 

 Spiders. with thc Lin yP hia found b Y Professor Packard in th<- raves of 

 Kentucky, Indiana, and Virginia, and which have lin-n de- 

 scribed by Mr. Emerton. 



These spiders were found in a chamber separate entirely from thai 

 part of the cavern which is now illuminated by electric lights, and which 

 Their iS entered b ^ a narrow opening. The location is about hall a 

 Abode. mile from the main entrance o f the cave, and is in total dark- 

 ness. The araneads were found upon the banks of a pool, and 

 were seen crawling about in the light of the torches in the guide's hand. 

 No webs were seen in this spot, though doubtless such must exist. 



In another inner chamber, about one-fourth of a mile distant from 

 the entrance, Mr. Franklin found numbers of webs and at least one co- 

 coon. This spot is also in total darkness, 

 is beyond the influence of the 



Cave electric lights, and in a com- 

 Websand ,. , , 

 Cocoons. P aratlvel y dl 7 P art of the cav- 

 ern, among older formations of 

 stalactite and stalagmite. Upon one sta- 

 lagmite about ten feet high and two feet 

 to two and a half wide at the base, he 

 found at least fifty webs hanging in vari- 

 ous parts of the structure. This stalag- 

 mite was roughly fluted from the base to F 10 - 191 - 8nare and oon of 



,, , ,, . , . P weyeri (?) in Luray Cavern. 



the apex, the fluting being from one and 



a half to three inches in width. Within the interspaces thus formed 

 were stretched these webs, which appeared to be all of one character, as 

 represented at Fig. 191. This figure was not drawn upon the spot, but 

 is a memory sketch made from notes and recollection of the observation. 

 The web appears to be composed of simple lines stretched across thc space 

 and placed between the walls of the fluting, and one above another, so 

 thickly that they touch and form an open hammock or sheet. This when 

 seen was depressed in the centre, and formed a shallow pocket or pouch. 

 In the midst of the intersecting threads, and at one side of the snare, 

 was hung a small cocoon. It is about one-eighth inch in diameter, is 

 composed of fine flossy silk, and contained a small number of eggs. 



I conjecture that the original web consisted of retitelarian lines strung 

 across the flutings, and that these, by reason of use and age, had relaxed 

 and merged one with another, forming the rude sheet like snare described 

 by Mr. Franklin. This characteristic may often be seen in Theridioid 

 snares. Indeed, as I have heretofore shown (see Figs. 211 and 212, and 



