MIMICRY OF SPIDERS. 47 
these spiders a good memory of the location of their domiciles, and a sense 
of direction sufficiently developed to bring them upon the return path with 
accuracy. 
Of course there is nothing remarkable about this, for such facts are 
true of the insect world generally. It is known by all bee hunters, and by 
all keepers of bees, that either the wild or the hive bee will find 
its way home after a long excursion in search of honey. So 
also I have frequently observed the mud dauber wasp erecting 
its elay cell upon a wall or building, making excursions to all points to 
secure mud for her masonry, and invariably return with her mandible 
hod full to complete her nidus. The same accuracy of memory, again, is 
shown when, having finished her nest, she prowls through all the neighbor- 
hood in search of spiders, winging her course to all points of the com- 
pass, prying into nooks and crannies and out of the way places, mousing 
under leaves and diving into flowers, and yet always directing her return 
course without the slightest hesitation to her mud daub cell. It is need- 
less to multiply such examples, and I only allude to them to show that 
in this respect the spider is not peculiar, but is gifted, like other Arthro- 
pods, with a memory sufficient for all the purposes of its life. 
Insect 
Memory. 
NIE 
Mr. F. M. Webster recently wrote me from the Ohio Agricultural Ex- 
periment Station (February 17th, 1892) a note which contributes an inter- 
esting item to the subject of mimicry as discussed Vol. IL, 
Chapter XII., especially under Color Mimicry and Mimicry of 
Environment, page 867. A spider observed by him had mimicked 
the white excreta of birds so perfectly as to deceive this thoroughly trained 
and accurate observer. The color of the spider was whitish, with the 
dorsal abdominal portion clouded with blackish, exactly resembling a mass 
of bird droppings. The deception was further carried out by the spider 
having spun a thin irregular sheet of white web on an elm leaf, in the 
midst of which it was situated with legs drawn up. At the distance of a 
few feet the observer was completely deceived; he thought it the excre- 
ment of a bird until he had the leaf in his hand. The appearance of 
the semisolid mass within the white splash of semifluid matter was so 
closely counterfeited, that Mr. Webster says he was truly provoked that 
such an animal could so befool his eyes after all his years of training. 
Judging from the general description sent, I infer the species to be our 
old friend Misumena vatia, so famous both in America and elsewhere for 
its color mimicry. 
Mr. Webster’s observation is all the more interesting because of its exact 
correspondence with one of which he was not informed until I called his 
attention to it, which has received considerable attention from naturalists. 
Color 
Mimicry. 
