FOOD OF INSECTS. 239 
them are so various, that it is impossible to enumerate more than a few of 
the most remarkable. Agelene labyrinthica extends over the blades of grass 
a large white horizontal net, having at its margin a cylindrical cell, in the 
bottom of which, secure from birds and defended from the rays of the sun, 
the spider lies concealed, whence, on the slightest movement of her net, 
she rushes out upon her prey. Aranea latens F. conceals itself under a 
small net spun upon the upper surface of a leaf, and thence seizes upon any 
insect that chances to pass over it. Theridium 13-guttatum forms under 
stones and in slight furrows in the ground a net consisting of threads spun 
without any regularity in all directions, but so strong as to entrap grass- 
hoppers, which are said to be its principal food ; and a similar inartificial 
snare of simple threads is often spun in windows by Theridium bipunctatum 
and séveral other species. Segestria senoculata and its affinities conceal 
themselves in a long cylindrical straight silken tube, from the mouth of 
which they stretch out their six anterior feet, whose extremities rest upon 
as many diverging threads: thus, as soon as an insect walks across any of 
the threads (which are eight or ten inches long) the insect’s toes give it 
warning of prey being at hand, when it rushes out and seldom fails to 
secure its victim, 
“ The spider’s touch, how exquisitely fine! 
Feels at each thread, and lives along the line.” 
M. Homberg tells us that he has seen a vigorous wasp carried off and 
destroyed by one of these species. 
The spiders to which I have hitherto adverted seize their prey by ineans 
of webs or nets; but a very large number, though, like the former, they 
spin silken cocoons for containing their egs, and often line their cells and 
places of retreat with silk, never employ the same material in constructing 
similar snares, of which they make no use. 
These may be separated into two grand divisions : the first comprising 
those which conceal themselves and lie in ambuscade for their prey, and 
sometimes run after it a short distance ; the second, those which are con- 
stantly roaming about in every direction in search of it, and seize it by open 
violence. The former Walckenaer, in his admirable work on spiders, has 
designated by the name of Vagrants, the latter by that of Hunters; term- 
ing.those already mentioned which spin webs and nets, Sedentaries: if to 
these you add the Swimmers, or those species which catch their prey in 
the water, you will have an idea of the general manners of the whole race 
of spiders. 
The artifices of that tribe which Walckenaer has named vagrants are 
various and singular. Several species conceal themselves in a little cell 
formed of the rolled up leaf of a plant, and thence dart upon any insect 
which chances to pass ; while others select for their place of ambush a hole 
na wall, or lurk behind a stone, or in the bark of a tree, Aranea calycina 
L, more ingeniously places herself at the bottom of the calyx of a dead 
flower, and pounces upon the unwary flies that come in search of honey: 
and A, arundinacea buries herself in the thick panicle of a reed, and seizes 
the luckless visitors enticed to rest upon her silvery concealment. Many 
? Some slight alterations in M, Walckenaer’s original divisions, but which need 
hot be here particularised, haye been made in his later works on spiders. 
