The Banded Epeira 



in her difficult trade, when some trouble dis- 

 turbes the peace of her nocturnal labours. 

 I do not provoke this trouble myself, for I 

 am not present at those unseasonable hours. 

 It is simply due to the conditions prevailing in 

 my menagerie. 



In their natural state, the Epeirae setde 

 separately, at long distances from one another. 

 Each has her own hunting-grounds, where 

 there is no reason to fear the competition 

 that would result from the close proximity 

 of the nets. In my cages, on the other hand, 

 there is cohabitation. In order to save space, 

 I lodge two or three Epeirae in the same cage. 

 Mj' easy-going captives live together in peace. 

 There is no strife between them, no encroach- 

 ing on the neighbour's property. Each of 

 them weaves herself a rudimentary web, as 

 far from the rest as possible, and here, rapt 

 in contemplation, as though indifferent to 

 what the others are doing, she awaits the hop 

 of the Locust. 



Nevertheless, these close quarters have 

 their drawbacks when laying-time arrives. 

 The cords by which the different estabhsh- 

 ments are hung Interlace and criss-cross in 

 a confused network. \Vhen one of them 

 97 



