1897.] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 93 



yet are all capable of crossing. The facts were determined by 

 Mr. Curtis by a series of experiments in cross mating and rearing 

 of young continued through two years. 



This species is most commonly found in groves under the foliage 

 of broad-leaved plants and ^hrubs, usually choosing for its domi- 

 ciles stiff' leaves with entire margins, such as those of the live-oak, 

 silver poplar, young cottonwood , holly and blackberry. But little 

 web is made. A leaf or two are bent and tied together by two 

 or three cables or a network of interlaced lines, the latter fulfilling 

 the purpose of a stay, an entangling obstruction against intruders 

 from below, and a trap for capturing prey. 



Regarding the effect of the poison of the spiders Mr. Curtis 

 records observations of twenty-six instances. The longest time 

 from biting to death was in the case of a fly, bitten on the leg, 

 which lived two hours and fifteen minutes The shortest time 

 was four minutes. The average time of twenty-five instances 

 {the very long one already referred to is excepted) was about 

 fourteen minutes. In twelve cases only one bite was afflicted. 

 In the remaining cases from two to six bites were made. 



Detailed observations on the mating habits were made. In 

 €ight instances the deposition cf the seminal fluid on a line and 

 the application of the palpi to this fluid was observed. 



Mr. Curtis describes the process of cocoon making. By the 

 aid of mirrors arranged about a captive female he observed the 

 details of cocoon construction. Cocooning is begun in late 

 March and early April by fertile females who attained maturity 

 the Fall of the year before and perhaps then made a few cocoons, 

 afterwards passing the Winter in a more or less dormant condi- 

 tion. The new females and males begin maturing during March 

 and April. After mating they begin in May to add their cocoons 

 to those of the older females, and from this time on to July the 

 young of the proceeding year continue to come into line, swelling 

 the number of cocoons and bringing the season to its height in 

 June, July, August and September. Each female makes from 

 one to five cocoons at intervals of about a month ; each cocoon 

 contains from fifteen to one hundred eggs which usually hatch in 

 from thirteen to twenty-three days, some not hatching for thirty 

 days. Their growth after hatching is slow, at least in captivity. 

 Of twenty-three young raised during the Winter of 1890-91, all 

 except eight took over two hundred days to mature. The longest 



