OHAPTEB VII. 

 EPEIRA AND THE WEAVERS OF ROUND VERTICAL WEBS. 



I. 



THE orbwebs most frequently seen in the Middle, Northern, and Atlan- 

 tic States are made by a group of spiders closely related in structure and 

 almost identical in economy. Among the most abundant of these 

 Epeira are ^ e jf urrow spider (Epeira strix), the gray Cross spider (E. 

 Hubs sclopetaria), Epeira patagiata, the Domicile spider of Hentz (E. 

 Uenjamina Walck.), and Epeira trivittata. Next to these, per- 

 haps, are Epeira insularis, 1 and more rarely the Shamrock spider (E. 

 trifolium). There is little or no difference in the character of the snare 

 'made by these araneads, but Insularis and Trifolium invariably, and fre- 

 quently Domiciliorum, are found in leafy nests with a trapline attachment to 

 the hub of the snare. Strix and Sclopetaria and sometimes Domiciliorum 

 nest in rolled leaves, but do not maintain as decided a trapline attachment. 



In the typical orb of these species, represented at Fig. 101, 2 the hub is 

 commonly meshed. This is not always so, but in spite of the occasional 

 exceptions, I regard the meshed hub as a characteristic. One will rarely 

 fail to identify unoccupied orbs of the type figured as belonging to one of 

 this group. 



The notched zone has from four to six concentrics, rarely more; the 

 number of radii and spirals varies, but has a pretty strong tendency to 

 keep about twenty-one. 3 They are found in all manner of sites where in- 

 sects abound. 



The Furrow spider is one of the most numerously and widely distrib- 

 uted of our indigenous Orbweavers. I have taken it as far north as Mon- 

 treal and the Thousand Islands on the St. Lawrence, and as far to the 



1 The Epeira insularis of Hentz and Ep. conspicellata of Walckenaer. I have Prof. 

 Thorell's authority (to whom I sent specimens) that the species is quite identical with the 

 European Ep. marmorea. I have, however, in the absence of specimens of the European 

 species, concluded to continue the name of Hentz at least in the two volumes on Habits 

 and Industry. For the same reason I retain Hentz's name Epeira domiciliorum, for what 

 seems to me without much doubt to be Walckenaer's E. benjamina. 



2 For the original photograph from which this engraving was made I am indebted to 

 Mr. Horace P. Chandler, of Boston. 



3 The average of 11 snares counted was 21 J, the lowest number was 18 radii, the high- 

 est 28 radii, and 25 spirals. 



(110) 



