218 A NATURALIST IN BORNEO 



it had been thrown out. Both of these bugs were 

 quite unhurt by their temporary captivity, and made off 

 after freeing themselves from some of the glutinous silk 

 of the web. The next insect tried was a Phytophagous 

 beetle, Antipha sp. ; this was seized at once but not 

 devoured, merely mouthed and palpated, and the spider 

 finally decided to keep the insect for future investiga- 

 tion, and thereupon proceeded to envelop it in a wrap- 

 ping of silk until it formed an amorphous bundle, which 

 was suspended from the centre of the web by a single 

 strand. The method by which the beetle was enveloped 

 was curious : it was held by the front pair of legs of 

 the spider, and turned round and round by the help of 

 the mouth-parts, whilst the hind pair of legs were ap- 

 plied alternately to the spinnerets, and led away each 

 time a single strand, which was wrapped round the 

 revolving insect. The action was very rapid, and the 

 spider looked like some machine for winding thread 

 round a spool, the thread being pulled in alternate 

 strands from the spinnerets. The butterfly Terias hecabe 

 was at once eaten, and so was Ypthima pandocus, but 

 a very conspicuous and common day-flying moth of 

 the' genus Deilemera (Hypsidce) was instantly thrown 

 out of the web without a moment's hesitation. This 

 is interesting, because Deilemera is the only genus of 

 Lepidoptera which Mantidce consistently refuse. It is 

 curious that no mimics of the genus are known. 

 Another Terias hecabe and Ypthima pandocus were 

 thrown into the web simultaneously, and both were 

 pounced on ; they struggled violently, and so were both 

 enveloped in a silken shroud, which hanging by a 

 single strand from a posterior tarsus of the spider 

 was then hoisted up to the centre of the web, and 



