A rmitt : Observations on Spiders at Rydal. 



belong's to the house-face, which is constructed of the slate- 

 stone of the district, set roughly without mortar or rough-cast. 

 The innumerable crannies thus formed between the irregular 

 stones serve as homes for a host of spiders, chiefly of two 

 widely different species, a Zilla and an Amaurohius ; though 

 Tegenaria derhamii is also present. The Zilla, being an orb- 

 weaver, and needing a fair open space for its toils, affects the 

 w^indow-corners and the wooden cornices ; just as, on the dry 

 walls of the fell, it or its fellow species takes the 'camming' at 

 the top, while its neighbour of the Aviatirobiiis tribe lurks in 

 the narrow, dark chinks of the stones. 



It is late May before the Zilla (probably x-notata) is seen to 

 have taken its stand in the window corner, where every night it 

 weaves a new, beautiful web. At first these webs are small, and 

 being set, as they often must be, within triangular foundation 

 lines, they do not attain a complete circle, but show merely two 

 segments of one. Even when a large web is made by an adult 

 spider, the concentric lines never meet, for it is the peculiarity 

 of the Zilla species that it leaves one spoke of the wheel, or 

 one radiating line, free. It is difiicult to see why this is ; but 

 close below this free line a strong cord runs, connecting the 

 centre of the circle with the creature's lair, upon which it runs 

 out when a victim is caught. It soon weaves for itself, too, 

 a little silken retreat or hood which hides its form from prying 

 eyes of enemies, and serves to shelter the eggs when these are 

 laid. As summer advances Zilla spiders begin to swarm, and for 

 every nook of window or tangled creeper there are claimants. 

 Young, eager settlers push out over the latticed window frame, 

 which is cast in bronze, and seize each one on a diamond pane, 

 5 X lo inches, which they hold as their own, constructing the 

 web across its shallow setting. So exquisite and fine are these 

 structures that they are invisible, except when the sinking sun 

 strikes the glass. But about nine, if the evening be cloudy, and 

 just at the time when Swifts make their last darts and doubles 

 over the river after flies, the little spiders wake up, creep from 

 the corners of the pane, and begin the night's adventures. 

 Each is visible now against the light. One hangs motionless 

 on the centre of an invisible, but apparently perfect web. 

 Another, whose web, attached to the stonework, is shaking 

 in the breeze, busies itself with repairs. Two others are in 

 incessant motion, weaving. Their gyrations are ceaseless, first 

 in an oblique direction, while the wheel is being formed, then 

 round and round, for the concentric lines : though always at one 



Naturalist, 



