WEB-SPIDERS. 



233 



south African side-walking sfider, Palystes (nat. size). 



The legs are strong, not very unequal in length, and armed with three claws ; the 



carapace is high, with the head compressed, and bearing on each side two pairs of 



large eyes belonging to the hinder row, and in front the four smaller eyes of the 



first row in a straight or 



curved line. The typical 



members of the tribe belong 



to the family Lycosidce, or 



wolf - spiders, of which a 



number of small forms are 



found in England, and the 



north and central parts of 



Europe. In summer these 



may be seen darting swiftly 



about amongst stones and 



grass, the female often carry- 

 ing her cocoon attached to 



her spinning mammillae. 



This cocoon is a spherical 



or more or less compressed 



sac, consisting of an upper 



and lower plate, fastened at 



the edges. The mother 



defends her packet of eggs with the utmost courage, and searches for it with 



diligence if lost. Soon after hatching, the young emerge from the cocoon, and 



climbing on to their mothers back cling there by means of silk threads, until 



strong enough to shift for them- 

 selves. The smaller species 

 take refuge under stones or in 

 crevices, and form no retreat ; 

 but many of the larger, 

 especially those commonly 

 known as Tarantula in South 

 Europe, dig a burrow in the 

 earth, lining it with silk, and 

 in some cases building round 

 the aperture a low circular wall 

 of twigs or grass. To dig the 

 burrow, the spider first loosens 

 the earth with its mandibles, 

 then gathering the pieces into 

 a heap and sticking them 

 together by means of silk and 

 slimy matter secreted from the 

 mouth, with a rapid flick jerks 



the pellet to some distance from the scene of its operations. At the entrance of 



the burrow the spider lurks on the look-out for passing insects, and during the 



Italian tarantula spider, Lycosa tarantula (nat. size). 



