368 



AMERICAN SPIDERS AND THEIR SPINNING WORK. 



it was almost impossible to distinguish them from the imperfect scattering 

 stamens. If a wasp or humble bee alighted near her, she dropped her 

 stamen like legs and crouched down and concealed herself as much as 

 possible ; but when these formidable insects departed, she resumed her ex- 

 pectant attitude. 



Now a pretty butterfly comes flitting down, all unconscious of danger. 



Misumena is perfectly motionless, but at the proper moment 



shoots out her legs and grasps the insect in fatal embrace. The 



sects butterfly is often four or five times her own weight, yet she 



manages to prevent her victim from mounting with her into the 



air, probably by holding firmly with her hind legs to the flowers. 1 



The remains of night flying moths were often observed scattered near 

 this individual, which had evidently been captured during the night, but 

 her most frequent game was dipterous. The fact, however, that she does 

 prey so frequently upon night flying insects is a good indication that she 

 is able to acquire all the food needed without the aid of mimic colors. 



I quote another popular account of the habits of a spider which I take 

 to be the same species. The description is from the pen of an intelligent 

 observer, but not a naturalist, who simply records, with great astonish- 

 ment, a first experience of a hitherto unknown fact, and therefore without 

 any predisposition to see a case of mimicry in a casual resemblance. The 

 account is taken from a description of a walk in the vicinity of Media (a 

 few miles from Philadelphia), and was published in a Friends' educational 

 journal. 2 



" In Bare Hill meadow was a garden of flowers such as no man ever 

 planted or ever shall. Asters, Golden rods, and Composite generally, were 

 massed in such profusion that the meadow was like Joseph's 

 in ^. " coat, of many colors and bright ones. In some places the herb- 

 Flowers a S e was higher than our heads, and passage through it was 

 difficult. Over all towered the spires of the purple Boneset or 

 Queen-of-the-meadow, so beautiful and graceful when seen thus, so coarse 

 and clumsy when examined closely. On a head of this species, and among 

 its purple flowers, we noticed a little purple spider with oval body and 

 peculiar markings. So closely was the color of the spider adapted to that 

 of his dwelling that we should have overlooked him entirely if he had 

 not moved. 



" Shortly we found on the white panicle of the Boneset proper a spider 

 similar in size, shape, and markings, but pure white in color. We then 

 examined the Golden rods and found a third similar spider thereon of a 

 yellow color. A close examination of our flower garden revealed a number 

 of these variously colored insects, each simulating the color of its habitat. 



1 Mrs. Mary Treat, "My Garden Vets," pa^e l:i. 



* "The Student," Philadelphia, Fourth Month, 1SSSI, page :!:!.">. "The Ranks of C'rum," 

 L. Chalkley Palmer. 



