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MOULTING HABITS OF SPIDERS. 97 
though finding the sort of relief that a human being does when he yawns. 
(Fig. 59.) The limbs were finally extended to their utmost tension, the 
respective legs of each pair being precisely opposite to and a little sepa- 
rated from each other. (Fig. 60.) Shortly thereafter, still maintaining this 
parallelism of the several pairs, the hind legs were ay 
elevated, and then successively the others, until they pe j 
were all a little more widely separated than repre- lle” 
sented in the figure. After a few minutes repose ra 
in this position the legs were doubled up, and the 
feet placed in a little circle upon the mouth organs, 
as represented at Fig. 61. The colors of the body 
were almost the same after as before moulting, only 
fresher and brighter, with the exception of the palps, 
which were nearly destitute of color and almost 
transparent. : 
A female of the same species was found (Sep- 
tember 6th) just after moulting. A rudimentary 
web had been constructed consisting simply of the 
characteristic central space, although the silken shield ac 
was but slightly marked, and an. irregular line of 5, 1. argiope moisten- 
straggling thick white silk represented the usual ing her feet after moult- 
zigzag ribbon beneath. This was suspended among = "* 
surrounding grasses and weeds by sey- 
eral radii so that it remained quite 
firm, the whole structure being about 
three inches long and two wide. The 
cast skin was attached to the upper 
part of this moulting frame, the feet 
being turned upward, the claws holding 
to the upper lines of the notched zone. 
The corselet skin swung backwards, 
showing that the spider had come out 
in that way by pulling downward. She 
herself was hanging to the lower portion 
of the moulting frame in the usual man- 
Fic. 62, Argiope resting after moulting, sus- Der, her feet attached to the shield be- 
DENSE: Fo aaalea. Aitele low the moult. The rings upon the legs 
showed white as they did in the moult. The animal when fully mature 
does not show these rings, but the tarsus and metatarsus are generally a 
uniform black color. 
IV. 
A female Linyphia communis moulted as follows: The spider was 
trussed upon threads stretched across a paper box in which she was con- 
fined, her body at an angle of about 45°, the abdomen apparently resting 
