—— ee 
NEST MAKING: ITS ORIGIN AND USE. 319 
This dragline she fastens to one of those which connect with the mouth 
of her nest, and which just serve to suspend the object. Returning, an- 
other thread is attached, and the piece is suspended midway between earth 
and nest. A third trip serves to fix the substance at the mouth of her 
domicile, to be afterward 
more neatly arranged. 
Several objects are thus 
frequently suspended at 
one time, giving the nest 
a rather unfinished ap- 
pearance, as represented 
in the figures, 
Nests built in the 
open air are almost im- 
pervious to light, while 
those built in confine- 
ment admit the light 
through the various in- 
terstices left by angular 
pieces of the building 
material. The little crea- Fig, 298. Nest made of materials artificially supplied; the lower part 
ture seems unable to rem- of sticks. (Theridium riparium.) Fa. 299. Nest with dead leaves, 
: twigs, ete., intermingled with pellets of earth. (Theridium riparium.) 
edy this, doubtless be- 
Fic. 298. Fic. 299. 
cause the natural site affords her better opportunity for the selection of 
material adapted to her wants. 
The objects used are invariably built into the inner surfaces only; and 
Mr. Robertson scarcely ever observed one of the busy little workmen on 
the exterior of its house, excepting when forming a slight covering of silk 
on the upper part, which is sometimes done, 
The snare of the spider is spun downward from the mouth of her 
tubular nest. The lines are the ordinary intersecting threads of 
ape her speci hich are so disposed that they enclose an inverted 
Rare: pecies, w p ey s a 
funnel shaped space, the mouth of the nest representing the 
point of the funnel, 
From some unknown cause these spiders sometimes left their homes 
oe with their broods, built on the inside of a 
gee 2, LNG =, branch irregular structures, one of which is 
ENR “ figured. (Fig. 300.) 
Riparium’s nest is not simply a domicile for 
ea ae the proprietor, but is a nursery and home in 
rium.) which to rear the young. The mother spins 
several nearly spherical cocoons of yellowish white silk, the diameter of 
each being about one-eighth of an inch, within which are contained 
from thirty to sixty eggs. When the young are hatched, they remain 
