Armitt : Observations on Spiders at Rydal. 



71 



point they turn to leave the free line, for even the baby Zilla 

 is true to the weaving-law of its species. 



But this teeming- population is thinned by the fortnig-htly 

 window-cleaning, and no doubt by internecine struggles, and 

 presently a few adults only are left in secluded corners, where 

 they wax fat, till pairing and egg-laying time comes, which is in 

 late September and October. Then the spider ceases to spin for 

 a time and cunning Titmice become watchful, knowing quite 

 well the edible worth of those egg-bags that lie shrouded within 

 the lairs. In October both Great Titmouse and Blue Titmouse 

 make systematic beats over the house-face, hanging to every 

 ledge of it ; and egg-bags are seen, nipped open and torn, with 

 but an egg or two left in them. The spider, too, often disappears 

 after these raids, and no doubt in many cases falls a prey to the 

 bird. It has, however, an established method by which it seeks 

 escape; for at a touch it falls straight down, curls its legs about 

 it and feigns death. I once disturbed three specimens of Zilla 

 atrica at home on a rock, and coming back after twenty minutes 

 found them still lying still as corpses ; and it was not until 

 some minutes later that one began to move. But this subterfuge 

 may bring the spider into fresh danger, besides losing for it 

 its home. A Zilla, disturbed from the top of a wall, once fell 

 on a projecting stone below that was covered by the flossy 

 lines of an Amaurohius ; whereupon the owner of the lines 

 rushed out to secure its prey; and then, recognising a neighbour 

 in distress, it magnanimously drew back. 



The two species indeed dwell on amicable terms of live-and- 

 let-live. Afnaurobius similis covers the house-face in summer 

 Avith the lace-like lines that it is peculiarly adapted by the 

 number of its spinnerets to construct. It must be entirely a 

 night-worker, and lives unseen, withdrawn in the crevices ; 

 except when some bold member of an overcrowded population 

 pushes into a room, and ensconces itself behind the shutter, and 

 then it is seen that even the small line of a young specimen is 

 sufficient to entangle a house-fly. 



But by the very excellence of its web as an entangling 

 medium does the Amaurohius suffer. The hen Chaffinch, a most 

 cunning weaver herself, has learnt the splendid adhesiveness of 

 this stuff, and it and moss together often form the entire 

 bricks and mortar of her exquisite nest. She is constantly seen 

 in nest-time hanging to the house-face or creepers gathering it, 

 and often places her nest within the creepers, that she may not 

 have far to fetch it. Thus is the harassed cave-dweller robbed 



1905 March 1. 



