INSECTS AND THEIR NEAR RELATIVES. 



41 



spiders frequently attract especial attention by dragging 

 after them a large gray ball (Fig. 47) ; this is the egg-sac, 

 which the female carries about with her attached to her 

 spinnerets. These spiders run swiftly ; and as they depend 



Fig. 47. — Lycosa and eg-gf-sac. 



on the use of their legs for the capture of their prey, they are 

 well termed Running Spiders. 



These spiders resemble in general appearance and in 

 habits the Tarantulas of the South and the West. But none 

 of our species attain the great size of some of the Tarantulas, 

 and in the Running Spiders the claw of the mandibles 

 moves horizontally instead of vertically. 



In this family the body is hairy and usually much longer 

 than broad. The eyes differ markedly in size, and are 

 arranged in three or four rows. The larger eyes are not in 

 the front row. The legs are rather long and quite stout. 



Like the Tarantulas, some of the Running Spiders build 

 tubular nests in the ground, 

 which they line with silk. Some- 

 times the entrance to these nests 

 is concealed by small sticks and 

 leaves, and sometimes the spi- 

 der builds a regular turret over 

 the entrance of its tube (Fig. 48). 

 These nests are used merely as 

 retreats, the spiders wandering 

 forth in search of their prey. 



The lareer members of our 



common species belong to the ^^^ ^g.-Entrance to ""'"of Turret 

 genus Lycosa (Ly-Co'sa). These ^V^^^^. Lycosa arenicola. (After Marx.) 



drag after them their egg-sacs as described above ; and 



