March  6,  1902. 
209 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
attached  to  the  home.  It  reaches  a  twig  or  other  object,  and 
secures  the  end.  Soon  a  second  travels  along,  adding  a  new 
strand  ;  then  a  third ;  more  follow,  till  a  bridge  is  made, 
over  which  the  rest  pass  rapidly.  But  by  June  generally 
each  has  started  web-making  on  its  own  account,  the  struc¬ 
tures  small,  of  course,  and  not  conspicuously  in  view,  for 
ivhs<id«.  During  thw  suring,  multitudes  of  young  spiders 
must  fall  victims  to  birds,  beetles,  or  other  insects  they  are 
unable  to  combat.  At  various  ages  a  spider  may  be  observed 
to  suddenly  agitate  its  web,  so  as  to  be  nearly  invisible,  which 
is  possibly  one  means  of  keeping  off  enemies.  Some  four¬ 
winged  flies,  such  as  the  Pompilidse,  sting  spiders  so  as  to 
paralyse,  not  kill,  them.  The  spider  is  carried  to  a  suitable 
male  the  peculiar  mark  so  conspicuous  on  his  companion, 
arid  which  gives  the  species  name.  It  is  really  more  like  the 
triple  cross  that  was  borne  as  a  symbol  by  the  Knights 
Templars. 
One  of  the  singularities  of  this  spider’s  web  is  that  many 
of  its  lines  are  studded  by  viscid  globules  that  help  to 
entangle  the  captives,  and  there  has  been  much  wondering 
as  to  how  the  creature  manages  to  distribute  these.  Looking 
carefully,  we  perceive  these  globules  are  of  two  sizes,  and 
seem  to  be  systematically  arranged,  the  large  alternating 
with  one  or  two  smaller  ones.  Mr.  F.  P.  Smith  explains  it 
thus :  The  thread,  when  it  leaves  the  spinnerets,  is  not 
coated  with  globules,  nor  does  the  spider  place  them  after- 
Ochna  multiflora,  stove  shrub, 
flowers  pale  yellow,  (Soe  iiago  208.) 
spot,  and  an  egg  laid  beside  it,  the  larva  being  thus  provided 
with  food. 
We  come  rio"  to  the  tiinf' when  th«  Diad<^m  spider  is  in 
its  prime,  and,  after  a  succession  of  months,  it  spreads  during 
August  and  September  those  extensive  nets  familiar  in 
gardens  and  shrubbt-ries,  which  have  to  be  removed.  It 
is  a  pity  we  cannot  sometimes  spare  those  not  unfrequent 
near  the  ground,  since  these  capture  numbers  of  the  injurious 
craneflies.  Good  are  spiders,  too,  as  natural  barometers, 
for  even  if  it  rains  an  improvement  in  the  weather  may  be 
certainly  expected  should  they  be  repairing  their  webs.  The 
autuim  rains  at  last  make  them  give  up  their  pursuits,  the 
seemingly  insatiable  appetite  declines,  and  the  female  insect 
prepares  her  egg-bag,  Male  spiders  mostly  die  earlier  ;  not 
a  few  fall  victims  to  the  ferocious  females  they  approach 
with  connubial  intentions.  We  do  not  see  upon  the  smaller 
wards  ;  but  it  has  a  viscous  surface,  and,  by  the  law  of  ten¬ 
sion,  dries  at  intervals,  forming  the  sticky  beads.  Through 
exposure  to  the  air,  especially  near  towns,  the  globules  lose 
their  stickiness.  The  various  parts  of  a  wheel  or  orb  web 
have  been  described  ;  but  the  structure  is  altered  by  spiders 
to  suit  its  situation.  Three  tracts  are  usual — the  spiral,  the 
foundation,  and  the  central.  This  last  is  again  divided  into 
three — the  “  hub  ”  in  middle,  the  notched  zone,  and  the  free 
zone.  It  is  in  the  “hub”  the  Diadem  spider  mostly  sit“, 
head  downwards  ;  but  it  always  has  a  den  a  little  way  off,  to 
which  largish  insects  are  often  carried. 
Dr.  Carpenter  states  the  remarkable  fact  that  in  some 
districts  of  Ireland  this  spider  hybernates,  reappearing 
during  the  spring,  and  living  till  autumn.  The  life  would 
then  extend  over  two  seasons.  No  instance  of  this  has  been 
observed  in  Britain. — Entomologist. 
