XIX 



THE TRIANGLE SPIDER 



Triangle spiders are more retiring in dispo- 

 sition than many of the weavers of geometric 

 webs. Though not confining themselves solely to 

 any field of activity, they are most often found, 

 by beginners at least, among the dead branches 

 of our brook-side hemlocks. No rambler along 

 watercourses can afiford to miss this wily trapper. 

 Where some venturesome hemlock has thrown an 

 arm over the stream, there the triangle spider 

 hangs her filmy web. Other spiders may weave 

 their complicated domes and winding spirals, but 

 the triangle maker holds the palm for simplicity 

 of design. 



The web looks like a section of an orb-web. 

 It is always made up of four radii attached at 

 intervals to a main vertical guy-line. Upon these 

 radii are stretched the transverse threads which 

 form the snare proper. From the apex where the 

 four radii come together, a single line passes to 

 a twig at a distance of several inches from the 

 opposite support. Upon this single line, almost 

 touching the hemlock twig to which the line is 

 fastened, clings the busy builder of the web. The 

 spider is small and very slender of body, with four 

 pairs of strong, skilful legs. In color it closely 

 resembles the bark of the hemlock, and when at 



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