SPIDERS. 
29 
brush ; the third or short pair of legs, however, is 
destitute of these appendages. These peculiarities 
impart an interesting character to this fine spider, 
which seems also to have a wide geographical range, 
extending from Florida, and perhaps Georgia, to the 
Bermudas, all through the Antilles, and even over the 
continent of South America as far as Brazil. But 
to return to the individual which was now attracting 
my interested attention. Several young ones were 
scattered about the net of one of large size, each of 
which hung head downward on the threads in the 
manner of the adult, remote from her, and from its 
fellows. Hence it would seem that the young of 
this species learns its first fly-catching lessons on the 
parental web, and is not sent into the world to prac- 
tise on its own account its net-weaving trade, until it 
has attained some size and strength. Most of the nets, 
however, in the Prickly-pear bush were occupied by 
Spiders {G aster acantha) of smaller size, but equally 
curious; the abdomen having a shell-like hardness 
and polish, and being hexagonal in form, with the 
angles produced into sharp points. There seemed 
to be two species of these, some having the abdomen 
of a dull red, and others, the more common, of a 
porcelain whiteness. 
I rode a few’ miles up the valley to dine with a 
gentleman at his coffee plantation. Looking into a 
deserted house not far from the shore, I was astonished 
to see that from every beam, rafter, and projection 
of the interior, hung multitudes of nests of a brown 
slender Wasp {Polistes ruhiginosa ?) in all stages of 
progress ; some just begun ; others as large as a tea- 
