221 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. [October 



in the dusky twilight. The web itself, a very perfect and beautiful 

 structure, is typical of the Epeifida, and consists of a number of lines 

 radiating from a common centre, where they are connected by a closely 

 meshed "hub " or platform. 



A fine thread spun round at a little distance from the centre and 

 thence onwards to the circumference in a spiral form is called the 

 " scaffold line." It serves as a guide in laying down the sticky spiral- 

 line proper, and is snipped off, rolled up and swallowed, as the spider 

 proceeds in the work. This latter line, so familiar to all observers, 

 strung as it is with viscid globules, is attached to each of the radii 

 with the' assistance of the hind tarsal claws and spinners. From the 

 centre to a distant nook amongst the holly leaves, sometimes direct, 

 often on a system of branching lines, is stretched a stouter line, the 

 " trap-line," leading to the spider's place of concealment, a white 

 silken domicile spun within a conveniently curved holly leaf in the far 

 recesses of the hedge. Within this retreat, safely ensconced, lurks 

 the spider during the day, not easily discovered, but at night-fall or 

 in early morning to be readily observed in the centre on the look out 

 for prey. Often, it is true, she does a little fishing from her parlour 

 door, when the trap-line held in her fore-finger indicates the smallest 

 agitation of her net. 



The name of the spider which has thus furnished so many 

 opportunities for observation is Epeira patagiata, C.L.K., a species 

 hitherto recorded from but a few localities. It belongs to the same 

 family and genus as the "garden spider," with white cross on the 

 abdomen, so familiar as the typical example of a spider given in 

 most works on popular natural history. It is closely allied to, yet 

 quite distinct from E. cornuta, Clk. {E. apocliso, Blk.), a very common 

 species throughout the country, often abounding along the river banks, 

 where they construct their webs and nets amongst the fringing grass 

 and rushes. 



My kind editor will not, I fear, allow my pen the scope it would 

 desire in order to put before my readers the many interesting facts 

 concerning the EpeividcB ; but I must venture to risk his displeasure, 

 and. before passing on to other species and their ways, give a short 

 account of an experiment w^hich may be made with the wheel-web 

 spinners. 



Now it is well known that the larger species, E. quadvata, diademata, 

 for instance, are by no means averse to a diet of bees and wasps if 

 such can be secured without serious mishap. Take then a tuning 

 fork to the heathy moors this month, when quadraia abounds, strike it 

 and present it gently from various points towards the spider as she 

 hangs in her web. She will start, exceedingly excited at the sound of, 

 as she thinks, a real live hum, her forelegs will reach out towards the 



