1832.] SPIDERS. 87 
from its spinners, soon envelops its prey in a case like the cocoon 
ofa silkworm. The spider now examines the powerless’ victim, 
and gives the fatal bite on the hinder part of its thorax; then 
retreating, patiently waits till the poison has taken effect. The 
virulence of this poison may be judged of from the fact that in 
half a minute I opened the mesh, and found a large wasp quite 
lifeless. This Epeira always stands with its head downwards 
near the centre of the web. When disturbed, it acts differently 
according to circumstances: if there is a thicket below, it 
suddenly falls down; and I have distinctly seen the thread from 
the spinners lengthened by the animal while yet stationary, as 
preparatory toits fall. Ifthe ground is clear beneath, the Epeira 
seldom falls, but moves quickly through a central passage from 
one to the other side. When still further disturbed, it practises 
« most curious manceuvre: standing in the middle, it violently 
jerks the web, which is attached to elastic twigs, till at last the 
whole acquires such a rapid vibratory movement, that even the 
outline of the spider’s body becomes indistinct. 
It is well known that most of the British spiders, when a large 
insect is caught in their webs, endeavour to cut the lines and 
liberate their prey, to save their nets from being entirely spoiled. 
I once, however, saw in a hot-house in Shropshire a large female 
wasp caught in the irregular web of a quite small spider; and 
this spider, instead of cutting the web, most perseveringly con- 
tinued to entangle the body, and especially the wings, of its 
prey. The wasp at first aimed in vain repeated thrusts with 
its sting at its little antagonist. Pitying the wasp, after allow- 
ing it to struggle for more than an hour, I killed it and put 
it back into the web. The spider soon returned; and an’ 
hour afterwards I was much surprised to find it with its jaws 
buried in the orifice, through which the sting is protruded by 
the living wasp. I drove the spider away two or three times, 
but for the next twenty-four hours I always found it again 
sucking at the same place. The spider became much distended 
by the juices of its prey, which was many times larger than 
itself. 
I may here just mention, that I found, near St. Fé Bajada, 
many large black spiders, with ruby-coloured marks on their 
backs, having gregarious habits. ‘The webs were placed verti- 
