46 
A Contribution towards the Knowledge of the 
Mode of Capture and Preservation. 
“ The study of spiders is peculiarly suited to persons of a 
sedentary habit, or to those who may love natural history 
pursuits, hut do not desire to form a collection. In this 
respect the observing of spiders possesses an advantage over 
the observation of the insect tribes in general, inasmuch as 
spiders are more stationary, and when found in their hold, 
corner, or web, do not escape observation by flight, but 
require only patience in the observer to unfold much of their 
history and economy. The collector often debars himself 
from the discovery of many a fact in the habits and life of 
the object of his search by anxiety to add to his collection, 
and fear lest the specimen should escape. Still there are 
many points that can only be ascertained by a close study 
and examination of the object itself; and, especially in 
regard to spiders, the scrutiny of those often minute, but 
important, structural and other characters upon which the 
determination of their species and systematic position depend 
is imperative, and hence it is absolutely necessary both to 
capture and preserve specimens. 
“ Probably the difficulty of making pretty cabinet objects 
of spiders has, in some measure, hindered their being studied 
and collected as commonly as the insect orders. But, pre¬ 
mising here that this difficulty can be, in a great degree, 
overcome, it will be well to say a word first about their 
capture (on the well-known principle of ‘ First catch your 
hare.’) 
“First, then, it ought to be an axiom with the spider- 
collector never to handle a spider with the fingers if it can 
possibly be avoided ; because they can scarcely be handled 
without great danger of breaking off the legs, or destroying 
the hairs, bristles, and spines with which most of them are 
more or less furnished. To break off these is to deprive one¬ 
self of one of the best characters for the determination of the 
spider ; not to mention that the colours and markings often 
depend on the hairs, and hairy pubescence with which the 
cephalo-thorax and abdomen are frequently clothed, and 
which always show sad traces of destruction after contact 
with the fingers. The only spiders that may be caught with¬ 
out much danger of injury in this way are the very minute 
ones (especially of the genera Neriene and Walckena'era) upon 
which the wetted fore-finger may be lightly placed ; the 
moisture causes them to adhere to the finger enough for 
immersion in the small phial of spirits of wine carried in the 
waistcoat pocket. Spiders may be boxed (separately of course) 
