COLOR AND THE COLOR SENSE. 32f 



Among Orbweavers and Lineweavers there appears to be a preponder- 

 ance of yellow hues, and the metallic species of these tribes are generally 

 marked by a metallic white or silver. The Saltigrades have a 

 Hues tendency to somewhat darker colors, the reds and browns being 



more generally prevalent in this tribe; and where metallic colors 

 occur they are usually metallic green, or occasionally blue. Yellows, greens, 

 and dark browns prevail in the Thomisoids. Uniform browns, grays, blacks, 

 and lead colored or neutral tints are most common among Tubeweavers, 

 Tunnelweavers, and Citigrades. 



It will thus be seen that .spiders present a sufficient number and variety 

 of facts in coloration to occupy the attention of naturalists. It is to be 

 regretted that these facts have not been so systematized and presented in 

 connection with the habits, industry, and structure of the species as to 

 enable one to consider them with accuracy and satisfaction in their bear- 

 ings upon many problems that now occupy the thought of scientific ob- 

 servers. Nevertheless, something may be attempted; and even the imperfect 

 contributions of this chapter may, in the future and in other hands, be 

 found helpful. 



How shall we account for this variety of coloration ? And what under- 

 lying causes have influenced the special colors of particular species? In 

 point of fact, color appears to belong to the natural constitu- 

 N°rmal ^'^'^ ^^ *'^^ spider, being imparted to it at its birth, and pre- 

 served through life by the power of heredity. It seems to be 

 an accident or incident of physiological changes which have not been ac- 

 counted for ; and as such it can hardly be considered to have special 

 regard to utility in one direction or another. To quote the language 

 of Mr. Wallace, " Color per se may be considered normal and needs no 

 accounting for. Amid the constant variations of animals and plants it 

 is ever tending to vary, and to appear when it is absent." ^ 



No doubt it is modified by food, habit, environment, variations of heat, 

 cold, moisture, light, and darkness; but the strong liercditary tendency 

 by which it is controlled is dominant, even amidst the abnormal influ- 

 ences which sometimes more or less modify it. Nevertheless, it may be 

 worth while to attempt to present some of the facts in habit, environ- 

 ment, and structure which seem to be most closely related to the colors 

 and color changes of spiders. 



Some of the most remarkable and i)crplexing facts in aranead colora- 

 tion are seen in Epeira trifolium, and these have been repre- 

 9°!?^ ^^" sented in Plate I., Volume II., wherein several variously hued 

 Trifolium '^P^ciniens of this species are given, colored from the individ- 

 uals themselves, as they were collected from one field in Niantic, 

 Connecticut. The locality is described at length in Volume I., page 292, 



' " Essay on Colours of Animals." 



