SPIDERS. 357 



As a contrast to the little elastic satin nest of the 

 hunter, we may mention the largest with which we 

 are acquainted, — that of the labyrinthic spider (Age- 

 lena labxjrinthica, Walckenaer). Our readers must 

 often have see« this nest spread out like a broad 

 sheet in hedges, furze, and other low bushes, and 

 sometimes on the ground. The middle of this sheet, 

 which is of a close texture, is swung like a sailor's 

 hammock, by silken ropes extended all around to the 

 higher branches ; but the whole curves upwards and 

 backwards, sloping down to a long funnel-shaped 

 gallery which is nearly horizontal at the entrance, 

 but soon winds obliquely till it becomes quite per- 

 pendicular. This curved gallery is about a quarter 

 of an inch in diameter, is much more closely woven 

 than the sheet part of the web, and sometimes de- 

 scends into a hole in the ground, though oftener 

 into a group of crowded twigs, or a tuft of grass. 

 Here the spider dwells secure, frequently resting 

 with her legs extended from the entrance of the gal- 

 lery, ready to spring out upon whatever insect may 

 fall into her sheet-net. She herself can only be caught 

 by getting behind her and forcing her out into the 

 web; but though we have often endeavoured to make 

 her construct a nest under our eye, we have been as 

 unsuccessful as in similar experiments with the com- 

 mon house-spider (Aranea dome > tic a)." 



The house-spider's proceedings were long ago de- 

 scribed by Homberg, and the account has been copied, 

 as usual, by almost every subsequent writer. Gold- 

 smith has, indeed, given some strange misstatements 

 from his own observations, and Bingley has added 

 the original remark, that after fixing its first thread, 

 creeping along the wall, and joining it as it proceeds, 

 it " darts itself to the opposite side, where the oiher 

 end is to be fastened \"\ Homberg's spider took the 



* J. It. f Animal Biography, iii. 470-1. 



