236 AMERICAN SPIDERS AND THEIR SPINNINGWORK. 
had fastened upon it with a deadly grip just on the forward side of the 
dorsal fin, and the poor fish was swimming round and round slowly, or 
: twisting its body as if in pain.4 (Fig. 219.) The head of its 
A Spider }lack enemy was sometimes almost pulled under water, but the 
Captures 5 ‘ ; : 
a Fish, ‘tength of the fish would not permit an entire submersion. It 
moved its fins as if exhausted, and often rested. Finally it 
swam under a floating leaf near the shore and made a vain effort to dis- 
lodge the spider by scraping against the under side of the leaf. 
The two had now closely approached the bank. Suddenly the long 
black legs of the spider emerged from the water, and the hinder ones 
reached out and fastened upon 
the irregularities of the sides of 
the ditch. The spider commenced 
tugging at his prize in order to 
land it. The observer ran to the 
nearest house for a wide-mouthed 
Fic. 219. A fish captured by a Dolomede spider. 
bottle, leaving his friend to watch the struggle. During an interval of six 
or eight minutes’ absence the spider had drawn the fish entirely out of 
the water; then both creatures had fallen in again, the bank being nearly 
perpendicular. There followed a great struggle, and on Mr. Spring’s re- 
turn the fish was already hoisted head first more than half its length out 
upon the land. It was very much exhausted, hardly making any moye- 
ment, and was being slowly and steadily drawn up by the spider, who 
had evidently gained the victory. She had not once quit her hold dur- 
ing the period of a quarter to half an hour of observation. Her head 
was directed toward the fish’s tail; she stepped backward up an elevation 
of forty-five degrees, drawing her captive with her. 
1 The figure has been drawn from a sketch furnished by Mr. Spring, who is a competent artist. 
