COMPOSITE SNARES AND SECTORAL ORBS. 137 
great numbers on the lattice work and open slats of the corn cribs and 
other outhouses of farms, In the last named site very many young spiders 
were seen in the first week of June, having but recently issued from the 
cocoon, ‘They were distributed along the lattice work for several yards, 
forming a goodly colony. As late as June 21st a similar colony was found 
in like position, the spiders being from one-half to two-thirds grown. In 
July and August I found many individuals located within the interstices 
of a stone fence near the 
seashore, at Cape Ann, 
Massachusetts. 
Triaranea persistently 
makes a web with an 
open sector and 
free radius, that 
is, a prolonged 
line not crossed by viscid 
beads, which, although it 
may occupy , 
the position 
of a radius, 
is free from 
the general Fig, 122. BHpeira 
radial — sys-  triaranea (glo- 
tem. Exam- 
ples occasionally occur, 
particularly among adult 
webs, in which the spi- 
rals entirely cover the 
orb space, but the gen- 
eral habit is otherwise. 
Among young ‘Triaraneas 
I have very rarely no- 
ticed such an exception. 
For example, in the col- 
ony just alluded to I counted consecutively fifty-two snares, every one of 
which had the free radius. The same fact was true of the colony of June 
6th. In these young webs the radius was always entirely free, with four 
exceptions, in three of which there was one thread stretched across the 
opening near the top of the web, and in the other case there were two 
lines so placed. 
Occasionally I have found a colony in which the tendency to a full 
orb was much stronger than usual. One such was noticed at Niantic, 
Connecticut. In the interstices of a stone wall bordering the beach of 
Niantic Bay, on the country seat of one of my brothers, many Triarancas 
Free 
Radius. 
i 
PUPA RAANNN 
Fig, 121, Tent and sectoral orb of Epeira triaranea. 
