3154 British Entomological Society. 



Another small web-weaving species of the same genus, which Swainson observed 

 in Brazil, constructs a case of earth and silk, with a spring-hinged lid, which it hangs 

 in the centre of its web, and to which it retreats on the approach of danger. But of 

 all the spiders which either hunt 'heir prey on the ground, or in the branches of trees, 

 or among the leaves of flowers, or dig holes in the ground, or weave delicate webs, not 

 one exceeds, in the singularity of its habits, the interesting individual to which I have 

 already alluded. It was about the noon of a day spent among the Aritaka Rapids, 

 that, on landing on one of the many small islands with which the stream is thickly 

 studded, I detected this curious species pursuing his avocations. Leaving my compa- 

 nions cooling themselves beneath the shade, I had crossed over to the opposite shore, 

 which I found shelving and rocky, and completely overrun by a vigorous growth of 

 succulent plants. A Bignonia, with clusters of snow-white flowers, with large sta- 

 mens of the brightest crimson, diffusing around a most pleasing odour, had scaled the 

 branches of a tree hanging over the water, and mingled its leaves with those of a de- 

 licate parasite, which had, in turn, twisted round its crooked stem, and whose small, 

 crumpled seeds — partially covered by a protecting envelope — were swinging by hun- 

 dreds in the breeze, at the end of long, thread-like foot-stalks. The seeds were sticky 

 with a fragrant and sweet-tasted gum, and seemed to be much frequented by the scores 

 of flies that were buzzing around. From a meal on those latter I thought I had dis- 

 turbed the birds, which flew away on my arrival ; but may be, as we shall presently 

 see, I was mistaken. Wishing to examine them more closely, I was on the point of 

 plucking a few of the seeds, when my hand was arrested at the sight of one of them, 

 suddenly endowed with a strange sort of activity — a pretty fly, intent on nectareous 

 sippings, had scarcely alighted, when he was tightly clutched by no friendly embrace; 

 and the seed, no longer a torpid vegetable, but full of life and vigour, and squeezing 

 poor Master Fly in two or three pairs of sturdy arms, swung in the air below its for- 

 mer position by three or four inches of silken line. The struggle was a short one, for 

 the bright red seed, or, rather, spider — a strong-limbed, thickset, plump-bodied rascal 

 he was — soon quieted his victim, and then withdrew to his roost to regale himself on 

 the juicy carcase so well earned by his ingenuity. 



" I proceed to explain by what means he was enabled to maintain his assumed 

 character ; not the less difficult because he has only to ' look it ' to ensure success — as 

 we know by many other actors, both on the stage and off. Our spider, courteous 

 reader, understands the value of appearance as well as you or I : he knows how the 

 dashing cab brings patients ; how the shop well stocked with ' dummies,' and the rat- 

 tling parcels' van, bring customers ; how the ' enormous demand,' and the ' cured a 

 duke,' win more victims ; and how a knowing look and wise shake of the head may 

 make a fool seem a learned man. Yes, he knows all this, or, at any rate, he knows 

 what amounts to the same thing — that appearances have very powerful effects all over 

 the world; for our spider is a wide-awake cove, and no sleepy -head, though he may 

 seem so for two or three hours at a stretch ; nor a turnip-head either, though the greater 

 part of his time he may look like a vegetable. Let us charitably hope that he has 

 never wanted a meal by lacking a respectable appearance, like too many, I doubt, in 

 more sophisticated communities. 



" As I have already stated, the seed seemed crumpled in one part ; and this was 

 caused by a large and uneven black lump at the bottom ; though I am not sufficiently 

 a botanist to give its technical appellation, its nature will be understood when I say 

 that it corresponds with the black crown on the berries of the hawthorn : a rujge that 



