THE TRIANGLE SPIDER: THE ORB SECTOR. 193 
rare, although the females are pretty common during the summer months. 
Mrs. Treat found the males of our Triangle spider at home with the 
females during two seasons. They were not in webs of their 
own, but always in the upper corners of the nets of females 
where the foundation lines are fastened to the trees. They were thus 
opposite their mates, who were waiting beyond the apex, and apparently 
were watching all their movements with great interest. This is the custom 
with males of most Orbweayers during the pairing season. It is a mis- 
take, however, to suppose that the males do not spin snares. I have fre- 
quently found them upon webs of the same construction and operated 
in the same way as those of females. At one time, I found in a fir tree 
a group of ten males, with their snares spun close together. 
A curious behavior was noticed in a Triangle spider observed in a pine 
wood in the Allegheny Mountains. Numbers of snares were there found 
on hemlock trunks and dead standing saplings. I cut the trap- 
Muscular jine of one of these webs to see how it would affect the spider. 
Rigidity. ; ; F : ; P 
She was hanging at the time with her hind legs quite near the 
trunk of a tree. Instead of dropping downward when the support of the 
fore part of her body was broken, she simply settled backward a little so 
that the end of her abdomen rested against the tree. In this position her 
body extended straight out from the trunk in a line at right angles thereto. 
The fore legs were slightly bent and held but a remnant 
of the trapline, which was greatly ruffled in the man- 
ner of a taut string when suddenly untwisted. Both 
pairs of hind legs in the meantime were holding tightly 
to two short cords, one in each pair of claws, which were 
attached to the tree by little conical clusters of threads | 
firmly glued to the bark. The spider in this attitude ro. 186. Muscular rigid- 
presented an odd figure, the like of which I have never ay oe imine: 
observed in any other species. (See Fig. 186.) Her body was perfectly rigid, 
although there was nothing to maintain it in position except the bracing 
which resulted from the hold upon the lines above described. I watched 
her for a long time, and she showed no signs of wearying or relaxing her 
attitude. 
The amount of muscular vigor displayed by the spider in maintaining 
this position must have been very great, but certainly not greater than re- 
quired to preserve the attitude which she assumes when holding her snare 
ready for prey. This attitude she will maintain, without the slightest ap- 
pearance of muscular tremor or weariness, for a long period of time. I 
have never had patience to see how long she would thus hold out if not 
interrupted by insects striking her snare; but I can readily believe that her 
patience will endure not only for a day but probably for more than a day. 
We thus have a tolerably full natural history of this interesting species. 
There are few animals whose habits better repay the student; but one who 
Males. 
