84 



AMERICAN SPIDERS AND THEIR SPINNINQWOKK. 



the manner of suspension, as well as the character of the egg case, Argon- 



teola resembles her congeners.^ 



A cocoon, when dissected, shows two principal parts— the basal sheet 



above I'cforrcHl to, and the cup or case which is set npon it. Both these 



parts consist of closelj' 

 woven silk, like that 

 which forms the out- 

 er case of Cophinaria 

 and Argyraspis, the 

 latter of which it most 

 resembles. This cup 

 is of a yellow or yel- 

 lowish green color. 



Fig. bo. Fio. Bt. Pio. B2. . . , 



Fio. SO. Cocoon of Argiope nrgyra-ipis. X 2. Fig. 61. Interior, showing ailCl tllO (leCp grCCn 

 padding, eggs, and tlio egg cover. Fio. 82. Side view of tlie egg cover. fjnts appear mOSt de- 

 cidedly in slight flossy tufts, which here and there overspread it. The 

 inner surface of the basal sheet is overspread with 



white silk. Within the case is a ball of 

 Internal 

 Structure 



white flossy curled silk, which forms the 



inner upholstery of the nest. It thus ap- 

 pears, that while the cocoonery of this remarkable 

 spider resembles that of Epeira in its external shape 

 and the nature of the interior furnishing, yet in 

 the texture of the case and manner of suspension 

 it is like the cocoonery of its congeners. In the 

 example produced in my trying box the basal 

 sheet is hung vertically. If it were suspended hor- 

 izontally, with the egg case downward (Fig. 54), it 

 would closely resemble an Argyraspis' cocoon. 



Mrs. Eigcnmann tells me that Argenteola makes 

 more than one cocoon. A specimen which had spun 

 a web in her sitting room placed a cocoon upon it somewhat in the posi- 

 tion observed by myself, as above described ; but 

 shortly after (the time is not specified) a second 

 cocoon was formed upon the web about two inches 

 below the first one. A few days previous to tliis 

 cocooning the spider neglected to eat, and paid 

 no attention to the flies placed upon her web. 

 The discoverer had concluded that the creature's 

 mission was ended and death would soon ensue, but was surprised to find 



Fig. B3. Cocoon of Argiope ar- 

 genteola ; front view. Natural 

 size. 



Pig. B4. Cocoon of Argiope ar- 

 genteola; side view. About nat- 

 ural size. 



' Koch has (k'.icribed species from Soiitli America whicli closely resemble A. argenteola, 

 and perhaps may he tlio same. See Arachniden, Tafeln 5-8, Fig. 3G0, Arg. argentatiis, and 

 Fig. 301, Arg. fenestrinus. 



