i^92.j The BRITISH NATURALIST. 



wider the space, the further must the web be from the (in my case) 

 church wal] and ivy leaves ; the further the wel), the greater will the 

 angle of the trap-line be, and a very slight increase in the angle will 

 admit of the spider passing beneath without touching the aforesaid 

 line. Hence the older the spiders the greater will be the proportion 

 of fully meshed webs. 



It will be noticed that Z. atvica more frequently presents the 

 vacant sector. I believe this is because, being hung amongst foliage, 

 the space is more confined and therefore does not admit of so wide a 

 play of trap-line. 



If my readers can confirm these observations I hope they will do 

 so, and, likewise, if they are able to deny them, let them do so in 

 good set terms and the blackest of ink. 



Tetragnatha, another very common spider, may be found lying with 

 its elongate body stretched out beneath the central platform, or 

 extended in close contact with a neighbouring leaf-stalk, its fore and 

 hind legs stretched out to their fullest extent fore and aft, the balance 

 of the body being preserved on either side by the tiny legs of the third 

 pair. 



It will be noticed that the central platform in the web of this species, 

 and also of a closely allied genus, Meta, is not closely meshed as in 

 Epeira and Zilla, but the centre is void of lines, thus forming a vacant 

 oval space. 



Linyphias of two or three species, montana, Clk., dovsalis, Wid., 

 and peltata, Wid., lay their delicate silken tablecloths for the 

 morning and evening meal in any convenient space, often beneath 

 other webs, and in this way intercepting the winged creatures, hoping 

 to escape by feigning death or falling downward as they strike the 

 lines of other nets stretched out above. 



These beautiful webs will be very familiar to my readers, as they 

 hang dew bespangled in the early dawn, the maze of interlacing threads 

 laden with midnight moisture, the owner lying beneath, back down- 

 wards, ready to rush and plunge its jaws into any poor creature luckless 

 enough to fall upon it from tlie upper regions. 



Here, too, we may see the two lovely little tent-makers — Thcvidions. 

 T. pictiun, Hahn., and T. shyphinjii, Clk. (nc'rvosiiui , Blk.), the former 

 of a deep, rich, chocolate-brown colour, with red, toothed band, 

 margined with v^hite upon the abdomen, and with black annulated 

 legs ; the latter without the red band and exhibiting a greenish 

 underside. 



Both these little spiders dwell within their beautiful little tent-like 

 abode, in size about that of a thimble, hung beneath an overhanging 

 spray or leaf, its roof Nvrought of line ^\■hitc silk, tncrustetl with tlie 

 jeweled fragments of golden-green beetle wings, dried leaf chips, 



