es 
THE RAY SPIDER AND HER SNARE. 201 
have even seen individuals with the back turned downward, Fig. 194, as 
is the habit with the Triangle spider and with all those species who make 
a dome or horizontal orbweb, as the Basilica spider and the Orchard 
spider, (See Chapter IX.) 
If now the feet of the spider be carefully examined with a good glass, 
a coil of slack line will-be seen, precisely as in the case of the Triangle 
spider. This is illustrated at Fig. 194, where a, b, c, are the axes of 
several rays, grasped in the third (3) and fourth (4) pairs of legs, and Sl 
is the coil or slack line curled up between these and the fore pairs (1 and 
2), or simply between the pair of fore legs; that is, between the two first 
and the two second feet. As the spider does not exceed one-eighth of an 
inch in body length, and the position of the snare is within cavities and 
interstices of rocks, where the light does not bring out the delicate tracery 
of the fine webs, the observation of 
these and other points of like char- 
acter, is a matter of some difficul- 
ty. But, although the exact relations 
of the coil to the feet were some- 
times in doubt, and indeed seemed 
to vary somewhat, the existence of 
the coil and its general relations 
were determined beyond doubt. It 
is also certain that the slack line 
sharply uncoils and straightens when 
the spider releases her grasp upon 
the trapline, and that the web un- 
bends and shoots quickly forward. 
It is instantly changed from the 
bowed or eonical form of Figs. 190 Fie. 195, Ray spider in position, back upward, show- 
\; fi ing slack coil and foot basket, ii; axis of a ray 
and 191 to the circular plane of Figs. grasped by third foot, 3; trapline grasped by fore 
187 and 188. ae 
The following points, however, long evaded my observation, before 
webs were found which presented the conditions for successful study. But 
at last I was well satisfied. The “springing” of the snare is 
caused by the sudden releasing of the trapline from the fore 
‘feet, instead of the hind feet, as with the Triangle spider. The 
polarity of the two arachnids relative to their webs is reversed, Hyptiotes 
having her fore feet, but Theridiosoma her hind feet towards the snare. 
The slack line is therefore coiled between the two fore feet or between the 
fore and hind feet of Theridiosoma, but between the two hind pairs (as 
a rule) of Hyptiotes. 
I have already explained the manner in which Hyptiotes is affected 
when her two hind feet are released from the trapline. The coil straight- 
ens, and the whole body of the spider shoots forward. If now we turn to 
Springing 
the Snare 
