DRINKING HABITS AND WATER LIFE. 21 
—— oe — c ——— a= a 
The Purseweb spider, according to Mr, W. L. Poteat,! is scrupulously 
neat. The droppings of his captive spiders were deposited outside the 
nesting tube, and generally at such a distance as necessitated 
Purse- her leaving the nest. These deposits were observed only in the 
web : ; : : 
Spider, Morning, so that she quits her tube at night, at least for this 
purpose.” One usually finds a cluster of insect remains loosely 
adhering to the outer wall of the tube, a little below its upper extremity. 
These do not seem to be purposely attached to the tube, but to be acci- 
dentally entangled when being thrown out, as with excavated earth, for 
they are often seen on the ground at the foot of the tube. The leavings 
of a single feast are frequently seen bound together with silk. On one 
tube was recognized the remains of some Neuropterous insect and of two 
woolly-bear caterpillars, such as hair, bits of chitinous integument, mandi- 
bles, joints of legs, etc. The elytra of beetles are also common. 
=. = ———— 
Fic. 7, A tarantula drinking water from a saucer. 
10 
Spiders require water, as do most animals, for their health, comfort, and 
growth, They can, indeed, live long periods deprived of water, but unless 
._.,.. Supplied with an equivalent in the animal juices of their prey 
ae i they perish from thirst. Even when insect food is abundant they 
~ "enjoy fresh water, and habitually partake of it in nature. The 
dews which gather upon their webs during the hot months probably afford 
a common supply. In the morning after a heavy dew, or after a rain 
shower, spiders may be seen brushing away the moisture accumulated upon 
the hairs which clothe their bodies. This is done by passing the fore legs 
forward over the head and cephalothorax, and the hind legs over the abdo- 
men backward. The legs, which gather the moisture upon their armature 
of hairs and spines, are then doubled under the body and drawn between 
the two mandibles, or between the mandibles and lip, thus brushing off the 
water, a part of which, however, remains and is taken into the mouth. 
1A Tube Building Spider, page 16. * Thid., page 15. 
