192 AMERICAN SPIDERS AND THEIR SPINNINGWORK. 



exercises no care at all upon her cocoon string. This is ordinarily stretched, 

 as may be seen by consulting Chapter IV., page 100, at a position some- 

 what removed from her ordinary nesting site. It is true, her silken tent 

 is sometimes spun just beneath tlie lowest of the several cocoons which 

 slie strings in a line one above another. But even in this case I have no 

 evidence that she exercises a personal vigilance upon them, or protects 

 tliem in any way. 



The known species of Uloborus also suspend their several cocoons 

 along one of the radii of their horizontal orbs. Hentz, indeed, says that 

 Uloborus mammeata' watches her cocoon witli incredible perse- 

 ' verance, and shows great courage in attempting to defend it 

 against human disturbances. Fear seems to be wholly merged in maternal 

 solicitude, and as soon as the cocoon is torn from its place, the mother, 

 having remained firmly attached to it, proceeds to secure it with new 

 threads. I have observed similar behavior on the part of Theridioid 

 spiders, who hang their cocoons within the limits of their snare, and may 

 sometimes be seen embracing them or stationed near them. 



Even this account may fail to assure one tliat the mother would have 

 repelled the attacks of natural enemies, and that she benefited her off- 

 spring by her stubborn keeping to her post. Nevertheless, it 

 Protect- geems to me a legitimate inference that the exercise of such 

 Pur-Dose "^^t^^'^^l patience in vigil, and energy and courage in resisting 

 attempts to rob her of her treasure, indicate a purpose to pro- 

 tect the cocoon from natural enemies. Why does the mother so per- 

 sistently maintain her position close by her cocoon ? Why is she ready 

 to luidcrtake even such a hopeless venture as maintaining her egg sac 

 against the tremendous odds of a raiding naturalist? These questions 

 appear, to me to have but one answer. Motherhood is on guard beside 

 tlie cradle of her young, moved by a natural impulse to protect them 

 from the possibilities of natural peril. Even though no one has yet seen 

 or recorded tlie actual defense of the vigilant mother against such enemies 

 as ichneumon flies, egg loving spiders, etc., the circumstantial evidence 

 seems to be good that such defense must often occur. 



It is known that outside of the Orbweavers some species of spiders 

 do persistently brood their egg nest, or rather keep a close watch upon 

 them until they arc hatclied. I have already intimated that I 

 Tribes ^^^"^^ ^^^" ^^^^ ^"^^"^ "^ detail with Hentz's Herpyllus ecclesias- 

 ticus, and I have observed the same fact with Dolomedes tcnc- 

 brosus. Mrs. Treat notes the habit of a Tliomisoid mother, probably 

 Misumena vatia, to remain near her cocoon, watching it with untiring 

 patience until the young are hatched. Hentz also speaks of this species^ 

 as watching its cocoon until the eggs are hatched. 



' Spiders of United States, page 129. « Thomisus fartus, "Spiders U. 8.," page 78. 



