96 AMERICAN SPIDERS AND THEIR SPINNINGWORK, 
An example or two of moulting as seen in special individuals will serve 
to define more clearly the above general description. A nearly mature 
’ female of Argiope cophinaria was observed (August 19th) in 
eae the final stage of moulting. When first seen she was suspended 
oulting. : 
head downward to the central shield of her snare, as represented 
in Fig. 58. The cephalothorax had already escaped from the shell, and the 
dorsal part of the moult still clung to the 
pedicle and stood straight out at right angles 
to the body. The 
abdomen was just 
ready to escape, and, 
indeed, slipped out 
of the shell as I ap- 
proached, and the 
skin lay in a rum- 
pled mass at the 
end of the thread 
by which the creat- 
ure was suspended. 
Fig. 58. Fia. 59. Fic. 60. 
Fic. 58. Argiope in the last act of moulting. Fias, 59 and 60. Argiope stretching her legs just after moulting. 
The body was bent upwards in a horseshoe shape, and the legs were 
partly freed from their moult. A few paroxysms occurred by which the 
legs were forced further and yet further out of the skin; then, first 
escaped the first pair, then, in a very brief space thereafter, the two second 
legs ; immediately the third pair followed, and in brief succession the fourth 
pair. The spider’s body dropped downward, and she stretched herself as 
