PARASITES OF SPIDERS AND THEIR EGGS. 53 
cause of such a situation, he found an ichneumon fly walking cautiously 
down the thread towards its victim. When close to the spider she touched 
it with her antenne, whereat Drassus dropped a few inches lower. 
ae This movement gave better opportunity to see the ovipositing of 
Sean the parasitic egg. The fly, having apparently ascertained that 
she had found a suitable subject, turned round and walked back- 
wards until close to the spider, where she paused a few moments, and 
then deposited her egg on its abdomen close to the cephalothorax. 
Mr. Bignell boxed both insect host and aranead guest, and took them 
home. Two days afterwards the egg had hatched, and the larva was about 
one line in length. A day or two thereafter both larva and spider were 
found dead. The strangest fact in the above story is that the spider would 
permit the fly to thus approach it without attack. The insect would seem 
to have been within its power, yet it forebore to strike. Was it made 
inactive by fear? By what spell did the mother parasite procure this rare 
exemption? 
The same gentleman, while beating for larvee of Lepidoptera, found an 
Orbweaver, Epeira cucurbitina Clerck, which had been attacked by an ex- 
ternal parasite. This lay like a sack across its guest’s 
back, reminding one of a miller’s man carrying a 
bag of flour. It was taken May 22d (1882), and on 
the 24th it was full fed. On the 23d it was figured Fic. 40. Parasitic larva of 
and described (Fig. 40), and found to have no legs, — "™Phinets ‘uberosa. 
but in place thereof had sucking discs, two on the second segment and 
four on the third and fourth. Six of these occupied the usual 
iis place of the legs of larvee; the other four were half covered with 
Tees the skinfold usually seen on lepidopterous larve. On its back 
were tubercles, the first on the fourth segment, the others on 
the seven following ones; each tubercle was surmounted with two rings of 
hooklets, with three or four in the centre. These served the larva to sus- 
pend itself from the round snare while feeding on its victim, and to hold 
on to the web after it was consumed. When all the juices of the spider’s 
body had been extracted the legs and empty skin were allowed to fall down. 
The larva then commenced to make itself a cocoon which was finished 
by the third day, during which time the tubercles performed a prominent 
role, having to do the work of the claspers of an ordinary caterpillar. 
When a tentacle, attached to the silken cord, had to be removed, the 
hooklets were withdrawn into the tentacle, which at once became disen- 
gaged and ready to make another attachment. 
The anal segment often played an important part by* being brought 
round to the assistance of the mouth; this act was first seen while the 
larva was feeding, and its purpose was to disengage some adhering portion 
of the spider from its jaws. Afterwards it was frequently used while 
spinning to unite the silk to some narrow part of the cocoon, where the 
