Habits of the Spiders. 
243 
of the box, which were of yellow pine, upon the bottom, which 
was of white cloth, or upon the top which was of glass, and 
yet they were evidently recognized by the spiders at all dis¬ 
tances up to five inches, as may be seen by the following ob¬ 
servations which are taken from our notes. 
A female of Astia vittata was standing with her back to a 
motionless gnat three and one-half inches away. On turning 
she caught sight of the gnat and at once began to approach it 
stealthily. She sprang upon it when one inch away and caught 
it. 
A female of Astia vittata was walking about the box when 
she caught sight of a gnat five inches away. She showed her 
perception of it by a contraction of all the muscles of the body 
and by lifting her head and fixing her eyes upon the prey. 
After a moment, she began to advance, rapidly at first and then 
more slowly. She jumped when about one inch away. 
Into a box containing a male of Hasarius hoyi we put eight 
gnats and four small flies. They all settled and became quiet. 
The spider, neglecting several gnats and flies which were close 
to him, fixed his eyes upon a gnat five inches away and ap¬ 
proaching it by short jerks, from in front, pounced upon it, 
holding it tightly a moment and then letting it go. One of its 
legs was broken. It flattered off to a distance of seven inches. 
After a moment the spider followed it and caught it again, still 
paying no attention to several nearer ones. This he repeated 
six times, letting it go each time. He then began to catch 
other gnats and flies at distances of from one to four inches. 
He made in all twenty-five captures, jumping always when 
about an inch away. His actions were exactly like those 
of a cat playing with a mouse. It seems remarkable that he 
could see clearly enough to follow the gnat which he had at 
first singled out among a number of others which were almost 
identical in appearance. 
A mosquito alighted four inches from the nest of a male of Phil- 
B3US militaris. The spider crept out, approached cautiously, 
and when one inch away jumped, but the mosquito escaped. A 
moment later it flew back and settled two inches from the spider. 
This time he ran quickly up, leaped, and caught it. 
