THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM MAGAZINE. 



187 



this sheet is gathered into a hag', 

 and into this the eggs are laid 

 with surprising quickness, the oper- 

 ation taking but a few minutes. 

 The eggs form a glistening globular 

 mass about three-eighths of an inch in 

 diameter, which can be easily seen 

 through the substance of the inner co- 

 coon at this stage. The slit in the bag 

 through which the eggs are laid is then 

 closed by tlie spider, and for over an 

 hour work is unceasingly carried on in 

 building up the fluffy packing around 

 and below the inner cocoon. The great 

 task in weaving the large outer capsule 



"During the long process of spinning 

 this outer envelope, the spider worked 

 from top to bottom, head downwards, 

 and then from bottom to top on the 

 other side, head upwards. It supported 

 itself by gripping the cocoon with its 

 legs meanwhile. Against the light the 

 minute silk threads issuing from the 

 spinnerets could be seen as a shining 

 ])and of conjoined lines. The legs were 

 in no way used to manipulate the threads, 

 but the body was moved up and down, 

 up and down, making a stroke of about 

 three-eighths of an inch. One touch of 

 the ]»r()truding spinnerets on the cocoon 



Cocoons of the Magnificent Spider. 



Plioto. — H. Hacker. 



is then commenced. This is by far the 

 most arduous portion of all the mother's 

 labour. The outer envelope has to be 

 made strong enough to protect the inner 

 cocoon from the weather, from friction 

 when blown against leaves and brandies, 

 from the attacks of predaceous insects, 

 and from the ovipositors of parasitical 

 insects. Under magnification, its finish- 

 ed texture is seen to be very closely 

 woven, and the final result is a tough 

 material, not easily torn or penetrated. 



As the actual method of spinning is of 

 interest, the following extract from my 

 more detailed account is given in full: — 



sufficed to attach the strands. The spider 

 moved with surprising quickness, its 

 spinning stroke varying from about 

 sixty to eighty spins per minute. Dur- 

 ing its journey up and down the cap- 

 sule two hundred and sixty spinning 

 movements were counted, and this repre- 

 sented but a single narrow sector of the 

 whole circumference. Some idea of the 

 energy expended by the toiling mother 

 m her great work may be gauged by 

 these figures, and one wonders at the 

 strength of the muscles which move the 

 abdomen. With haste and without rest, 

 the process was continued and at mid- 



