94 PECKHAM. [Vol. 1, 



insect enemies ; and, secondly, the protection of the eggs from 

 the too powerful rays of the sun, dry clay being (as is well 

 known) one of the best non-conductors of heat." * 



The peculiar cocoon of C. bisaecata is described by Emertonf 

 as follows: "Only one specimen of this (iisaccato) was found 

 on a beech tree at New Haven with two cocoons. These were 

 dark brown, as dark as the bark of the tree and as hard. 

 Around the middle of each was a circle of irregular points. One 

 of the cocoons was attached by a strong stem to the bark, and 

 the other was attached in a similar way to the first cocoon. 

 The spider held on to one of the cocoons." In this instance the 

 egg has evidently the same protection as that possessed by the 

 gray, bark-haunting spiders, with the added advantage of 

 hardness. 



The habit of distributing the eggs through a number of 

 cocoons made at intervals of several days, is protective. In this 

 way, although one or two of the cocoons may be pierced by the 

 ichneumon, there is a chance that part of the brood may 

 survive. | 



INDIRECT PROTECTION. 



The indirectly protected group includes those spiders 

 which are rendered inedible by the possession of sharp spines 

 and chitinous plates, and also those that mimic other specially 

 protected creatures. 



The females of the specially protected group are character- 

 ized by the following attributes: 



Their inedibility, which they owe to a more or less coriace- 

 ous epidermis and an armature of strong sharp spines (fig. 8, 

 see p. 95). 



Their brilliant colors — glistening black and white, yellow, 

 fiery gold, metallic silver, rose-color, blue, orange and blood-red. 



* Ann. and Mag. of Hat. Uifst., Feb., 1887. p. 113. 



+ New England Epeiridm, p. 325. 



; B. sancta hencdicti Vinson makes as many as thirteen cocoons. Vinson, 

 loc. cit., p. 204. Cyrtophora hi/area McCook sometimes makes fourteen, which, like 

 tlie mother-spider, are light-green in color. Proc. Acad, of Nat. Sci. of Pkiladelphia, 

 1887, p. .S42. 



