256 THE WOODLANDS. 



of these hunting spiders in Britain, it should not be 

 difficult to become acquainted with some of them. 

 Although from their habits of life they can dispense 

 with a snare, the female constructs a cocoon of white 

 silk for her eggs, and this is concealed under the bark 

 of old trees or in crevices of walls and rocks. 



There is another family of spiders called Thomisidce, 

 which hunt their prey in a similar manner, but they 

 are not so attractive in appearance. The Drassidce 

 construct for themselves little cells amongst leaves, 

 and in these they lie in wait for their prey, leaping 

 upon unwary insects that may pass their dens. 



It is worthy of remembrance that some spiders are 

 quite nocturnal in their habits. They do not make 

 their appearance at all in the daytime; and hence 

 many kinds may seldom or never be seen except by 

 those who know where to search for them, and then 

 only rarely. Night in the woods is not absolutely a 

 period of quiet and repose. Birds, quadrupeds, in- 

 sects, spiders, molluscs, have all their nocturnal species, 

 and these retire to rest during the day. 



The " Gossamer Spider " is a term which has been 

 often used in a manner which would lead to the con- 

 clusion that there is one particular spider which per- 

 forms the aerial flights so often alluded to or described. 

 Whereas it is probably the young as well as the mature 

 of several species which are concerned in these 

 evolutions. As in most phenomena which did not 

 receive immediate elucidation, this became entangled 

 with a little romance. 



Lister says that one day in autumn, when the air 

 was full of wefts, he mounted to the top of the highest 



