98 



AMERICAN SPIDERS AND THEIR SPINNINGWORK. 



FIG. 80. Cocoon string of a California Cyrtarachne, seen from two 

 sides. Natural size. 



Cyrtar- 

 achne 



cocoon. In others they are quite irregular, not only in their shape, but 



in the mode of arrangement, being little more than irregular nodules upon 



the surface. One of the 

 specimens from California 

 consists of three cocoons, the 

 first of which has the points 

 arranged with considerable 

 regularity, while the others 

 are less in size and are al- 

 most without rugosities. All 

 have little openings towards 

 the top, through which, no 

 doubt, the spiderlings made 



their escape. (See Fig. 80, which shows the cocoons natural size.) 



Cyrtarachne cornigera is quite as remarkable in the character of its 



cocoon as in its own structure. This cocoon is a flask shaped object, re- 

 sembling that of Argiope riparia, but with a neck relatively 

 much longer. Two examples before me differ greatly in size, 



^ L one being more than one- 



Cocoons. 



third larger than the 

 other. 1 In the former the stalk 

 or neck is of uniform thickness; 

 in the latter it is twice as thick 

 at the mouth as at the bowl. (Fig. 

 81.) The cocoon is lashed at the 

 base of the bowl to a twig by a 

 number of silken threads, which 

 are attached to one side, carried 

 quite around the twig, and simi- 

 larly fastened to the opposite side. 

 The entire lower half of the bowl 

 is thus covered by the attached 

 wrappings, which are drawn so 

 tightly that the flask sits quite 

 firmly upon the twig. At the op- 

 posite end the cocoon is stayed by 

 lines that pass from the tip of the 

 stalk to the snare of the spider or 

 other support. The attachments of 

 these guys are shown in Fig. 81, which is drawn twice natural size. 



In the Camden cocoon (Fig. 82, natural size), the lashings are of a 



1 No. 1, collected by Mr. Isaac Martindale, Camden, N. J. ; length, 19 mm. ; bowl, 10 mm. long, 

 9 mm. wide ; stalk, 9 mm. long, 3 mm. wide. No. 2, collected by Dr. George Marx, Washington, 

 D. C. ; length, 12 mm. ; bowl, 6 mm. long, 5 mm. wide ; stalk, 6 mm. long, 1 to 3 mm. wide. 



FIG. 81. Cocoon of Cyrtarachne cornigera, lashed to 

 a twig. X 2. 



