. American spiders and their spinning work. A natural history of the orbweaving spiders of the United States, with special regard to their industry and habits. Spiders. 23() AMKKK.'AN Sl'IUKllS AND TlIEIll SPJNNINGWOKK. had fastened upon it with a deadly grip just on the forward side of the dorsal fin, and the poor fish was swimming round and round slowly, or twisting its body as if in pain.^ (Fig. 219.) The head of its A Spider j^i.^f.]^ enemy was sometimes almost pulled under water, but the a Fish strength of the fish would not permit an entire submersion. Il moved its fins as if exhausted,
. American spiders and their spinning work. A natural history of the orbweaving spiders of the United States, with special regard to their industry and habits. Spiders. 23() AMKKK.'AN Sl'IUKllS AND TlIEIll SPJNNINGWOKK. had fastened upon it with a deadly grip just on the forward side of the dorsal fin, and the poor fish was swimming round and round slowly, or twisting its body as if in pain.^ (Fig. 219.) The head of its A Spider j^i.^f.]^ enemy was sometimes almost pulled under water, but the a Fish strength of the fish would not permit an entire submersion. Il moved its fins as if exhausted, and often rested. Finally it swam under a floating leaf near the shore and made a vain effort to dis- lodge the spider by scraping against the under side of the leaf. The two had now closely approached the bank. Suddenly the long black legs of the spider emerged from the water, and the hinder ones reached out and fastened upon the irregularities of the sides of the ditch. The spider commenced tugging at his prize in order to land it. The observer ran to tlie nearest house for a wide-mouthed. Fiu. 219. A fish captured by a Dolomedc spider. bottle, leaving his friend to watch the struggle. During an interval of six or eight minutes' absence the spider had drawn the fish entirely out of the water; then both creatures had fallen in again, the bank being nearly perj)endicular. There followed a great struggle, and on Mr. Spring's re- turn the fish was already hoisted head first more than half its length out upon the land. It was very much exhausted, hardly making any move- ment, and was being slowly and steadily drawn up by the spider, who had evidently gained the victory. She had not once quit her hold dur- ing the period of a quarter to half an hour of observation. Her Iiead was directed toward the fish's tail; she stepped backward up an elevation of forty-five degrees, drawing her captive with her. ' The figure has been drawn fi-om a sketch famished by Mr. Spring, who is a compete
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectspiders, bookyear1889
