826 



THE NATURE BOOK 



plant ; the lobes or divisions of the petals 

 are broad, and the whole i)lant is smaller 

 and more stoutly built ; a glaucous hue 

 may often be seen pervading the plant. 

 The photograph will show that the Sea 



Campion possesses the same inflated 

 calyx as the Bladder Campion, this 

 being a noticeable feature of both plants ; 

 it is in bloom during the summer. 



H. PuREFOY Fitzgerald. 



SPIDERS AND THEIR SNARES 



By JOHN J. WARD 



Author of "Life Histories of Familiar Plants," "Some Nature Biographies," etc. 

 Illustrated from Original Photographs by the Author 



NOT all species of Spiders construct 

 snares in which to entangle their 

 prey. There are many kinds, such 

 as the Wolf Spiders {Lycosidcc), and the 

 famihar Zebra, or Harlequin Spider {Salti- 

 ciis scenictis), that boldly hunt for their 

 quarry in the open. The Wolf Spiders 

 are frequently seen low down beneath 

 bushes (especiaUy in woods) rapidly 

 moving about amongst stones and fallen 

 leaves ; they are fearless hunters, chasing 

 their prey in a fierce and determined 

 manner until its capture is effected. The 

 female Spider may often be seen affection- 

 ately carrying about with her the silken 

 sac containing her eggs, which she bravely 

 defends when attacked. When the young 

 are ready to appear, the egg sac is broken 

 open and the young Spiders swarm over 

 the back of their mother in a huddled 

 mass, giving her a very curious appear- 

 ance, and in that manner are conveyed 

 about by her. 



The Zebra Spider is famihar to most 

 people, for on almost every sunny wall 

 and tree-trunk it may be seen hunting its 

 prey. The female is only about one- 

 quarter of an inch long, and the male is 

 less. The lateral white stripes upon the 

 dark-coloured abdomen, and the crafty 

 manner in which this Spider edges up to 

 unsuspecting flies basking in the sunhght, 

 and then, hke a flash, springs upon them, 

 readily distinguish it. 



The hunting forays made by this Spider 

 are really remarkable performances ; it 



often attacks its prey on the flat bricks 

 of an ordinary wall. It should be 

 mentioned, however, that it takes pre- 

 caution to guard against disaster. Behind 

 it trails a silken thread, and but for this 

 it would often fall to the ground, together 

 with its victim, during the short struggle 

 that ensues on the capture of its quarry ; 

 sometimes, too, it misses its aim. 



The egg sacs are not carried about by the 

 female Zebra Spider, as in the case of the 

 Wolf Spiders, but are hidden in crevices 

 of the bark of trees and amongst the 

 loose mortar in old walls. On a common 

 brick wall, the favourite hiding-place 

 is the narrow groove beneath the coping 

 stones at the summit. 



In the first illustration one of these 

 Spiders prepared to exhibit its anatomy 

 is shown enlarged ten diameters. The 

 large and sharp poison fangs (as deadly, 

 as far as the fly is concerned, as those 

 of the cobra) on its head should be 

 observed. These organs are movable, 

 closing inwards in clasp-knife fashion, thus 

 enabhng the Spider to hold its victim in 

 close contact with the toothed basal parts 

 while its juices are extracted. 



In warmer parts of the earth some of 

 these hunting Spiders assume quite large 

 dimensions. An illustration of one of 

 these is shown at natural size on page 831. 

 This is one of the so-cahed " Bird-catching 

 Spiders " (Theraphosidcc), whose food really 

 consists of beetles, resting moths, ants, 

 smaller Spider species, etc. During day- 



