a 2 oe 
\ = 1 an > = 5 ’ 
ARGIOPE AND HER RIBBONED ORB. 101 
preceding attachment. The figure represents the species in the act of ascend- 
ing the line and swinging her abdomen from the point 3. The natural 
uplift of her body, combined with the crosswise motion of the abdomen, will 
cause the direction to be along the dotted line towards the point 4, where the 
next attachment will be made. After that attachment the abdomen, still 
manipulated in the same way, will be carried across and upward to the 
point, 5, and so on until the: band is completed. As the spinning is thus 
repeated alternately from side to side, and the ribband first fastened to one 
radius and then to its opposite, there nat- 
urally results the peculiar zigzag formation 
known to all observers of this web.! 
The habit of spinning the white shield 
and zigzag ribbons is deeply imbedded in 
the species. One sees it continually in very 
young spiders, and at all the ages of the ara- 
nead until its death. It is extremely persist- 
ent, and it is rare to find any individual 
under normal conditions that does not make 
the whole or a considerable part of this char- 
acteristic spinningwork. 
I venture to give some extracts from 
notes of observations upon the daily move- 
ments of Cophinaria. They were made at 
my request, by a gentleman, Mr. 
Benj. H. Hunt, resident in Frank- 
F1G. 95. Manner of spinning the zigzag ribbon. ford, one of the outer wards of 
eae in ene: en sa jee pein Philadelphia.? Since this journal was made 
make 3-4, swinging the abdomen across from i have been able to follow the life of this 
BE Sa oN es a a species through long periods, even up to 
her death, by means of colonized individuals. But at that time I was not 
so situated as to make such consecutive observations, and I insert these notes 
of a “lay observer” because they are not only accurate and piquant, but vary 
the point of view and thus add value to the study. 
The spider was reported as first observed on August 30th. I will take 
up the journal at a little later date. The spider was at the time fully mature 
A Spider 
Diary. 
1 This description is the result of a number, of observations. It was several years after 
Thad described before the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences the manner in which 
this spinning was done ere I was able to see the actual operation. It was pleasant to find 
that I had anticipated the mode with absolute accuracy, and thus again shown that the 
naturalist can at times truly “ predict.” 
* Mr. Hunt became interested in one of these spiders observed on his premises, reported 
the fact to me, and following my instructions was able to place in my hands several new facts. 
Many persons living in rural parts and suburbs could render valuable service to natural history 
by thus taking up one creature and following its behavior closely and continually, taking care 
to record everything seen, with such rough drawings as might be possible. 
