DEATH AND ITS DISGUISES. 439 



The third and fourth pairs of legs are folded in an easy position upon 

 the venter. Applying a magnifying lens to these legs, one can see that 

 they are connected by threads, which are attached to the spinnerets in the 

 ordinary way, showing that the aranead is by no means unconscious of 

 and indifferent to her usual methods of escape. 



I give three- other drawings which present in natural size three positions 

 assumed by Epeira trifolium while death feigning. Two of these (Figs. 369 

 and 370) represent her lying upon her back with her claws doub- 

 led up in the manner previously described of the Labyrinth spider, 

 and showing the same readiness to immediately relax the limbs 

 and assume the ordinary position. The third drawing (Fig. 371) 

 shows the spinnerets and two fourth pairs of legs holding on to the apex 

 of little pyramids of threads which had been instantly thrown out just as 

 the spider passed into its death feigning condition. One third leg may also 

 be noticed, reaching downward to the spinnerets, and holding on to a line 

 which had been outspun at the same time. 



This action in itself seemed to me sufficient indication that the spider 

 retained entire control of her faculties. Instead of falling at once into 



FIG. 369. FIG. 370. 



FIG. 371. 



Death feigning attitudes of the Shamrock spider. 



fright paralysis without any preparatory efforts at protecting herself, she 

 secured herself by her spinningwork anchorages from being carried away 

 without her knowledge, and gave herself the means of recovery to natural 

 position. Of course the period of time between this act of self protection 

 and the assuming of the death feigning attitude could scarcely be calcu- 

 lated; yet the whole behavior showed that after the act which is supposed 

 to have induced kataplexy, and between it and the kataplectic attitude, there 

 was this deliberate effort to secure herself in the ordinary and natural 

 manner. This was so manifest that, on observing it time and again, I was 

 extremely amused by the manifest stage effects of the aranead actress, and 

 could not help comparing it with the alleged method of certain women ad- 

 dicted to voluntary "fainting," who are said deliberately to pick out the 

 most agreeable spot on which to fall, and to adjust their limbs and drapery in 

 the most graceful and convenient manner before the faint! In the case of 

 the Shamrock spider also, as with Labyrinthea, the recovery from the death 

 feigning attitude into natural posture showed, in the transition, the marks 



