2o8 



FIRST LESSONS IN ZOOLOGY 



lings feed on each other, the stronger overconaing the 

 weaker and devouring them. When they issue, which 

 they do by cutting a hole in the cocoon, they look like 



the adult spiders, but are 

 of course much smaller. 

 They are also usually 

 lighter in color, and with- 

 out the patterns and 



markings which charac- 

 terize the species. As 

 they grow they moult 

 several times, but do not 

 acquire the final arrange- 

 ment of hairs, spines, 

 markings, etc., until the 

 last moulting. 



Nothing more interest- 

 ing in spider life is to be 

 observed than the be- 

 havior of spiderlings that 



Fig. 170.— Egg-coconn of the labyrinth have just issued. The 



spider, with sides removed to show ., . . , 



e^rir-packets and cliambers, (Two and first Sllk-spmning, the 



one-lialf times natnral size; after Snod- attempts at Web-making, 

 grass.) ' . . , 



the gregarious habit lead- 

 ing to "balling " (fig. 169) or " snugging " of the brood, 

 and the gradual dispersion and assumption of independent 

 life all offer a fascinating and readil)- accessible field of 

 observation. 



The best book about the life of spiders is McCook's 

 "American Spiders and their Spinning Work." A 

 smaller book is l^^merton's "Life of Spiders," and one 

 describing all of the common spiders of the Eastern and 

 Southern States is iMTierton's "Common Spiders." 



