174 



NA TURA L HIS TOR Y. 



attached to stones, the female deposits her eggs, to the number of forty, fifty, or more, in a firm 

 and compact cocoon of white silk, about which, or within a light outer web surrounding it, the 

 parent Spider remains in attendance on her progeny. This is especially remarkable in the case of 

 some species which bury their cocoons in the earth, and these, as well as the species frequenting 

 leaves, herbage, <fec., often enclose the cocoon in a looser silken web, which serves the female as a 

 habitation. The most remarkable of all the species, however, is the WATER SPIDER (Aryyroneta 

 ayualica), which passes the greater part of its life beneath the surface of the water, pursues its prey 

 and even constructs its nest in this abnormal situation for an air-breathing Arthropod. The Water 

 Spider is about half an inch long, and what is a remarkable circumstance the male is larger than 

 the female. The cephalothorax and limbs are of a dark reddish-brown colour, and the abdomen, 

 which is ovate, olive-brown. When swimming under water the numerous hairs with which 

 the latter part is clothed carry down a supply of air in their interstices, and it is by means of 

 this that the Spider is enabled to breathe. This air gives it a silvery appearance when swimming. 

 Not content with this arrangement, which necessitates constant visits to the surface for fresh 

 supplies of air, the Water Spider builds itself a dome-shaped cell, attached by silken threads to neigh- 

 bouring objects in the water, such as sticks and plants, then by fetching down from the surface 

 continual supplies of air and discharging them beneath the dome-like web, the latter gets inflated with 

 air after the fashion of a diving-bell, and the little architect has a safe and comfortable dwelling in 

 which it can rest freely for a longer or shorter time. The Spider appears to hibernate in its 

 subaqueous dwelling, and also to deposit its cocoon of eggs there. 



The DYSDERIDES are nearly related to the preceding, but have only six eyes, and a cimous West 

 Indian genus belonging to the group (the genus Nops) has only a single pair of rather large eyes 

 placed far from the front margin of the cephalothorax. They are rather elongated, but strong 

 and active Spiders, usually with large and powerful falces, and reside in cells and tubes of silk 

 placed under stones and in crevices of rocks, walls, and the bark of trees. From these habitations 

 they rush out upon passing insects, which they take by surprise. The species are not very numerous, 



but are widely distributed. Several are recorded 

 as inhabitants of Britain. 



The SCYTODIDES, which also have six eyes, have 

 a rather shorter and rounder body, and propor- 

 tionately longer legs than the Dysderida?. They 

 inhabit temperate and warm countries, chiefly in 

 the Old World, and they are found in caves and 

 houses, as well as under stones and among herbage. 

 Their spinning is generally feeble, and they produce 

 only a few irregular lines. 



The CINIFLONIDES are a small sub-family, the 

 known species of which are inhabitants chiefly of 

 Europe, North America, and South America, but 

 are represented also in the Atlantic islands. 

 Mr. Blackwall distinguishes them by the possession 

 of eight spinnerets, the fourth pair being placed 

 quite at the base of the spinner, and consisting of 

 a couple of very short, truncated, conical bodies 

 of oval section, united to each other for their 

 whole length. They are further characterised by 



^^^^^1' / r -=^f having a peculiar organ, called a calamistrum, 



upon the first tarsal joint of each posterior leg. 

 ARGYRONETA AQUA-PICA. This consists of two close, parallel rows of 



short, movable spines, which are employed by the 



Spiders in the construction of their very singular snares. These Spiders live in the crevices of rocks, 

 walls, and the bark of trees, and among the leaves of trees and plants, and, in the neighbourhood of 

 the places of their abode, they prepare their curious toils, composed of silk combed by the calamistra, 



