196 



FIRST LFSSONS IN ZOOLOGY 



spitlcrs (fig-. 155). Some nf them lie in wait for tlieir 

 pre)' in flower-cups, beinj,' usually white and parti-colored, 

 so as to harmonize with the bright corolla. The}' are 

 rendered inconspicuous by this sort of color mimicry, and 

 small insects alight imsuspectingly within reach of them 

 as they wait. The front two pairs of legs in these spiders 

 are longer than the other two pairs, and " so bent that 

 the spider can use them when in a narrow crack." 



The running spiders, jumping spiders, and crab-spiders 

 are the most easily found and easily recognized of those 



Fk;. 156. — Trap-floor spider (California) with two burrows, one with duor 

 open, one witli door closed. (Natural size; from life and specimens.) 



which do not spin webs to catch prey. But there are 

 other groups characterized by this habit, among them 

 the giant California tarantulas or Mygales, and the trap- 

 door spiders. The nests (figs. 156 and 157) of these 

 spiders are described in Cha])ter III, page 39. 



The web-weaving spiders. — The webs or snares of 

 spiders present a great variet}' in form and type of con- 



