— Ta EL ee i a ae 
256 AMERICAN SPIDERS AND THEIR SPINNINGWORK. 
These examples indicate that the ordinary instincts of spiders are 
held well under control. There are periods when certain instincts wholly 
dominate action, which at other times are held in subordina- 
Subordi- tion. One is not surprised to see this in such rare or unique 
nation of instincts as th al impulse. But t th I 
Instincts. WStincts as the sexual impulse. But to see the same phe- 
nomenon in the sentiments that control daily life, and to see 
it frequently occurring, and so manifestly under the volition of the 
animal, is certainly more notable. In the examples just cited it is seen 
that the feeding habit is held 
in subordination by the in- 
dustrial impulse when net 
making is in order; and a 
surely is which constrains a 
hungry spider to truss up a 
fly or carry one about in its 
jaws until a snare is finished, 
or even cast it wholly out of 
the web. 
I once found a nearly ma- 
ture Argiope cophinaria hang- 
; ing in the centre of 
Laying her orb engaged in 
Bes sucking the juices 
from a fly, which 
she kept underneath her jaws 
and appeared to be handling 
entirely by the use of her 
palps. In the meanwhile she 
held attached to her fore feet 
on either side two swathed 
flies, one suspended by a sin- 
Fic, 237, Dwarf flies banqueting with a giantess spider gle thread, and another by a 
So ae bia double one. Evidently she 
was troubled with what the French call an embarrassment of riches. It is 
rare to see a Sedentary spider eating thus without the aid of the fore legs. 
Another Cophinaria was observed with five flies, three of them large 
blue bottles, fastened at various parts of her web, most of them well 
towards the margin. Two of the blue bottles were completely wrapped in 
white swathing silk, and were covered from one end to another with a 
host of small black dipterous flies, that were trying to feed upon the car- 
casses of their huge, mummied congeners. Argiope appeared to be entirely 
regardless of the presence of these little creatures. They adhered so closely 
to the carcass that when the spider violently shook her web they rode 
very complete subjection it 
all ha ee! Bt a 
