186 



AMERICAN SPIDERS AND THEIR SPINNINGWORK. 



centre," and "has the finer part arranged in regular loops or scallops (see 

 Fig. 176, a, b 1 ) in which separate fibres cannot be distinguished." 



The spiral lines, according to my own studies, 

 when examined under an ordinary hand lens, 

 present a milky appearance, as though composed 

 of very thinly spun material. With a little 

 higher power the supporting spiral thread is seen 

 passing through this milky mass. Placed under 

 a microscope, the line is seen to consist of three 

 strands, namely, the central spiral thread, and 

 two curled lines, which alternately cross 'and re- 

 cross each other above and below the centre, 

 forming the loops as represented at Fig. 177. In 

 FIG. 175. caiamistrumofHyptiotes. this respect Mr. Emerton has correctly represent- 

 ( After wilder.) a, tarsus and met- e( j the spiral line of Hvptiotes. The two curled 



atarsus of fourth leg ; b, the claws, - , 



open; c, cross section of the meta- .lines seemed to me to be sometimes composed 01 

 tarsus, showing its cavity in which & fl occu i en t instead of a smooth thread, and it is 



lie the muscles; also a single 



curved bristle upon the side, a this which, seen by the eye, or by a lens of low 



partofthecalamistrum^easim- th nk appearance described, 



liar calamistrum bristle still more J 



enlarged; d,f, two feathered bris- The above results I obtained from freshly spun 



webs, whose clean silk was unmarred by use. 

 Other studies of this cross line, made from older 

 snares, showed that it consists of one, two, or three 

 separate threads, around or between which 

 Ploccu- the fine floccuient material was twisted or 

 Thread fastened somewhat as in Fig. 178. The lat- ^es. (After Emerton.) 



ter presented a milky appearance, and was spread out so fine 

 that often no traces of independent filaments were observed. In short, it 

 was a very delicate, cottony mass, much wider at some parts than at others, 

 presenting in miniature something like the appearance of the woolen rolls 

 which, as a boy, I used to watch with intense interest as they passed into 

 the flyers of an old* fashioned spinning wheel. 



In this cottony mass one frequently observes a 

 number of particles of dust, pollen, and various minute 

 amorphous objects, which have been caught 

 * Be ad n k e upon the sticky material as they drifted be- 



the web 

 of Uloborus, they present to the casual ob- 



s ^ jocoooooococ 



Append- 



' 



rangement of the floccuient server, even when looked at by a common magnifying 

 lens, the appearance of beads upon the ordinary thread 

 of Epeira. It is not strange, therefore, that many have been deceived and 

 led to suppose that the Triangle spider makes a beaded web. The true 



1 Cobwebs of Uloborus, Am. Jour. Sci., 1883, page 205. Also New England Spiders of 

 the Family Ciniflonidse, PL XI. 



