80 AMERICAN SPIDERS AND THEIR SPINNINGWORK. 



o'clock at night The Argiopes hung to their webs and took it without * 

 flinching. So also did one of the Vertebratas. 



"September 18th. Cloudy. Spiders with full webs. The day clears up. 

 No rains. . . . September 19th. Spiders seen with full orbs every- 

 where. Evidently they were at work last night. At nine o'clock morning 

 the weather cloudy. . . . September 20th. Argiopes at work while 

 raining. One spinning after a heavy shower, the drops of rain hanging 

 like beads upon her legs. She is finishing the spirals, part of which had 

 been made earlier in the morning. All the spiders are out on their webs. 

 The weather showery, close, warm. There was a heavy rain at night and 

 yesterday. 



* " July llth, 1889. Yesterday evening the Orbweavers on my vines were 

 busy spinning webs, two young Epeira trivittata being especially observed ; 

 the heavens were clouded at the time and rain threatening. The day had 

 been overcast and was slightly showery. A shower fell in the early part 

 of the night, and between three and four o'clock one of the heaviest rains 

 that I ever have known in this climate. The whole morning has been 

 showery up to nine o'clock. 



" September llth, 1889. This morning a number of Argiopes were seen 

 spinning their webs ; others had formed large perfect snares upon the vines. 

 Several Epeira trifolium have also made snares ; also Epeira labyrinthea. 

 Last night and yesterday a very heavy gale blew. Some of the Argiopes 

 remained upon their webs during all the storm until the shield, spirals, 

 and almost everything except a few of the main radiating lines were abso- 

 lutely melted away. They do not seem to care for the rain. Other spiders 

 are hid in their nests, or covered under leaves and other places of refuge. 

 This action of the Orbweavers would seem to prognosticate a fair day. 

 9 P. M. On the contrary, the weather has been rainy during the greater 

 part of the day, rain falling incessantly, wind blowing with more or less 

 violence, a raw, disagreeable autumn day, and the night even worse. Again 

 my spiders have failed to prove themselves true weather seers. 



" September 12th. The gale of yesterday and the preceding day con- 

 tinued during the night, with rain. This morning is again windy and 

 rainy. A little cessation of the storm at nine o'clock permitted to visit 

 the vines. A number of Argiope cophinaria had made perfect snares. 

 Insularis, Trifolium, Labyrinthea, and Arabesca all were out upon com- 

 pleted snares, or had begun webs and proceeded as far as the spiral scaf- 

 folding. There is not the same activity nor the same number of webs 

 that would have appeared had the day been bright, but undoubtedly many 

 of the spiders have disregarded the weather. Two Argiope cophinaria have 

 cocooned during the night or morning in the midst of the storm. . . . 

 Eleven o'clock A. M. The rain still continues, a heavy fall. ... 2 P. M. 

 Wind and rain still continue. ... 6 P. M. Rain and wind continue. 

 12 midnight. The storm raging with unabated violence. 



