SPIDERS. 29 



brush ; the third or short pair of legs, however, is 

 destitute of these appendages. These peculiarities 

 impart an interesting character to this fine spider, 

 which seems also to have a wide geographical range, 

 extending from Florida, and perhaps Georgia, to the 

 Bermudas, all through the Antilles, and even over the 

 continent of South America as far as Brazil. But 

 to return to the individual which was now attracting 

 my interested attention. Several young ones were 

 scattered about the net of one of large size, each of 

 which hung head downward on the threads in the 

 manner of the adult, remote from her, and from its 

 fellows. Hence it would seem that the young of 

 this species learns its first fly-catching lessons on the 

 parental web, and is not sent into the world to prac- 

 tise on its own account its net-weaving trade, until it 

 has attained some size and strength. Most of the nets, 

 however, in the Prickly-pear bush were occupied by 

 Spiders [Gasteracantha) of smaller size, but equally 

 curious; the abdomen having a shell-like hardness 

 and polish, and being hexagonal in form, with the 

 angles produced into sharp points. There seemed 

 to be two species of these, some having the abdomen 

 of a dull red, and others, the more common, of a 

 porcelain whiteness. 



I rode a few miles up the valley to dine with a 

 gentleman at his coffee plantation. Looking into a 

 deserted house not far from the shore, I was astonished 

 to see that from every beam, rafter, and projection 

 of the interior, hung multitudes of nests of a brown 

 slender Wasp {PoUstes rubiginosa ?) in all stages of 

 progress ; some just begun ; others as large as a tea- 



