204 Kew : Snares or Snap-nets of Triangle Spiders. 



curious, and well worth understanding- ; in his second paper 

 Wilder illustrates it by a drawing - (Fig-. 4),* based upon the 

 observations just noted, but referring-, for convenience, to the 

 long-er cross-lines. In this drawing-, the warp of the snare, and 

 the first cross-line (I 1 ) are in position ; and the manner of 

 the subsequent movements of the spider are indicated by the 

 numerals 1 to 9, and by the interrupted lines and arrows. The 

 dashed line 1, 2, 3, 4, shows the route followed in order to 

 commence the second cross-line (/ n ). The dotted line 4, 5, 

 represents the spider's track while spinning- the first section of 

 this cross-line ; the dashed line 5, 6, shows her return to the 

 proper point for attaching- it. The dotted line 6,- 7, and the 

 dashed line 7, 8, in like manner indicate the track passed over 

 in forming- the second section of the same cross-line. The 

 dotted line 8, 9, shows the progress of the spider towards 

 making- the third section. Thus, instead of beginning- the 

 second cross-line at S nn , the spider begins it at 4; and instead 

 of climbing up the first cross-line (I 1 ) or the strong and con- 

 venient base-line (BB), she runs to the point 2 near the apex, 

 crosses the two intermediate radii, and passes along the upper 

 radius (ft 1 ) to the attachment of the first cross-line (S 1 ). On 

 reaching this, she turns and forms the attachment of the second 

 cross-line (I 11 ). Then applying the hind legs to the spinnerets 

 as above described — moving them with great rapidity, at least 

 five times a second, or 300 times a minute — the creature begins 

 to spin the line, slowly moving the while along the radius until 

 she reaches the point 5, where she can step across to the next 

 radius (ft 11 ). Ceasing to lengthen the line, she now runs along 

 the second radius to the point 6, nearly under that whence she 

 started. Again turning about, she here attaches the line to the 

 second radius; and, recommencing the spinning process, she 

 advances toward the apex, crosses at 7 to the third radius 

 (ft 111 ), runs out to 8, and attaches the line to the third radius. 

 She then repeats, under this radius, the process of drawing out 

 a line, and is represented, at 9, as having spun about half of it. 

 It is necessary to remember that the spider, in the drawing^ is not 

 reduced like the snare ; and that, in nature, the creature is 



* In Figs. 4-6, the spider is of natural size, but the snare is considerably 

 reduced ; BB is the base-line, attached at C and D, to a hemlock branch ; 

 E F G H, points of attachment to the base-line of the four radii, R 1 to 

 i? 1111 , which converg-e at A, the apex of the snare ; I 1 to /" [to 7 IX ], the 

 cross-lines ; to S nn , attachments of the first cross-line upon the radii ; 



O, origin of the trap-line from a second branch. 



Naturalist, 



