1892. J 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



220 



[The explanation I have offered for some years, and which now seems to be 

 generally accepted, is that the appearance of the butterfly in our country is owing to 

 immigration. The spring brood migrates and an autumn brood abounds, but few 

 seem able to bear our winter, and the number appearing in spring will be very 

 small and unless next year give a favourable season it will disappear again. — J.E.R.] 



SPIDERS OF A HOLLY HEDGE. 



BY REV. FREDK. O. PICKARD-CAMBRIDGE. 



Those who read this Httle paper must not jump to the conclusion 

 that tlie spider population of a holly hedge differs essentially in kind 

 or character from that of any other sort of hedge. It has merely 

 happened that by a concurrence of advantageous circumstances the 

 particular hedge in question, which has furnished material for the 

 following notes, is unusually rich in examples of spiders and spider- 

 webs. Situated as it is on the brow of the steep northern bank of the 

 Eden, known as the "Scar," close to the city of Carlisle, its southern 

 aspect fairly sheltered from northern and eastern inclemencies, it 

 seems to present special advantages for the construction of those 

 delicate fly and moth nets which we term cobwebs. 



My attention was first attracted to the locality and the webs 

 towards dusk on one of those lovely September evenings such as Eden 

 valley can produce to perfection when in the mood. The tall, weird 

 chimney stacks, looming through the uncertain mists, stood erect like 

 ghostly sentinels in the southern distance beyond the river ; while the 

 hectic flush from the dying sun, as she sank into her western tomb, 

 shed a delicate rosiness over the landscape. Upon my holly hedge 

 were stretched numbers of beautiful and perfect orb-webs, the owners 

 hanging behind each, beneath the central platform. Now and again, 

 when the vibrating air and tell-tale threads lieralded the approach of 

 some winged presence, they would clutch convulsively, with nervous 

 tarsal claws, the divergent spokes of that treacherous wheel whereon 

 many a poor moth and gnat were destined to be broken. Othersome 

 . were not so wrapped in thoughts of daily food but that their spider 

 instincts would readily and lightly turn to love, for upon many of the 

 webs the small, dark, handsome male might be observed feeling his 

 autious way into female favour, essaying to bridge, with sly and 

 ervous footsteps along the slender lines, the gulf between him and 

 he somewhat irritable object of his affections. 



It was indeed a pleasing sight for a naturalist, such luimbers-— I 

 have counted more than sixty of an ev(;ning— of sp('ciiiKMis of a \cry 

 rare and, to me, (]uite nf:w form of Epcird hanging expccUinl. 111 ihcu" 

 snares; the snow-white crescents beneath the i)ody gleaming clearly 



