198 



AMERICAN SPIDERS AND THEIR SPINNINGWORK. 



spiders to get themselves upon all objects and in all manner of positions 

 within their neighborhood. Certainly these observations must open up 

 before our minds more clearly than ever the existence of a high degree of 

 maternal instinct in spiders, and the possibility of discovering yet higher. 



VIII. 



Among experiments on the mental powers of spiders, made by Professor 

 and Mrs. Peckham, were some on the strength of the maternal feeling. 1 They 



proceeded by removing their cocoons from the mothers and then 

 Strength no ti n g with what degree of eagerness they sought to regain them ; 

 3 Jf e *~ and also by determining for how long a time they would remern- 

 ings her the cocoons after they were separated from them. The Ly- 



cosids were selected as the principal objects of study, because 

 these spiders keep the egg sac attached to the spinnerets until the young 

 are hatched, and thereafter carry the spiderlings on their backs for a cer- 

 tain length of time, until they are able to shift for themselves. It was 

 thought that the lengthening of the period of infancy during which the 

 female cares for her young, might, in the case of araneads, as in that of 

 more highly organized animals, have produced a greater development of 

 maternal instinct than in other species of spiders where the eggs receive 

 little or no attention from the spider after she has deposited them. The 

 following will show the character of some of the experiments : 



The cocoon of a female Pirata piraticus was removed from her. Dur- 

 ing this act the mother seized the egg sac with her falces several times and 



tried to escape. After the removal she seemed much affected 

 ' and searched about in all directions to find her lost treasure. 

 In an hour and a half the cocoon was restored to the mother, who im- 

 mediately took it between her falces and passed it back to its proper place 

 beneath the abdomen. It was again removed and returned in three hours. 

 The mother did not seem as ready to receive it as in the first instance, 

 but after a little hesitation took it up and carried it off. From three 

 spiders of the same species cocoons were removed, and retained for the 

 space of thirteen, fourteen and a half, and sixteen hours respectively. All 

 remembered them and took charge of them when they were returned. 



The same cocoons were again removed and retained for twenty- 

 Absence OU1 . ] lOUrgj w hen they were restored. Two of the mothers re- 

 j . . fused to resume their maternal duties, seeming not to recognize 



their cocoons. The third, however, after her cocoon had been 

 placed in front of her seven times, slowly resumed charge of it, but 

 with none of the eagerness before displayed. 



Experiments with a female Lycosa of an unknown species resulted as 

 follows : After being separated from her cocoon for a whole day the mother 



Mental Powers of Spiders, page 397. 



