t 484 ] 



THE WANDERING SPIDER*. 



This spider docs not lie in wait for its prey, like 

 several others ; it is a lively, active hunter. Its 

 head is furnished, as in the rest, with immoveable 

 eyes. Without any motion of the head, it perceives 

 all the flies that hover around; it does not alarm, 

 but stretches over them its arms, furnished with fea- 

 thers, which prove nets that entangle their wings. 

 The spider seizes them with its merciless claws, 

 and sucks their blood. 



THE JUMPING SPIDER "j". 



The manners of the Jumping Spider are very sin- 

 gular. It does not, like many others, take its prey 

 by means of a net, but is constrained to seize them 

 only by its own activity. It is extremely nimble, at 

 times leaping like a grasshopper, then standing still, 

 and raising itself on its hind legs to look around for 

 its prey. If it see a fly at the distance of three or 

 four yards, it does not run directly to it, but endea- 

 vours, as much as possible, to conceal itself till it 

 can arrive near ; and then creeping slowly up, and 

 but seldom missing its aim, it springs upon the 

 insect's back, and it is then almost impossible for 

 the fly to effect an escape. But if, before the spider 

 gets to it, the fly take wing and fix upon another 

 place, the little animal whirls nimbly about, and 



* Aranca viatica. Linn. + Aranea sceniea. Linn, 



