. 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. 46 AMERICAN SPIDERS AND THEIR SPINNINGWORK. and stood face to face. Tlie male carried his head under tlie body of his mate in a reversed position. He stepped aside, and tlie female with her feet tickled the apex of his abdomen. The next day at 6 A. M. he saw a little web constructed by one of his Argyronetas. He gradually filled the bottle with fresh water, whereupon the couple began to work with extraordinary activity, and in
. 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. 46 AMERICAN SPIDERS AND THEIR SPINNINGWORK. and stood face to face. Tlie male carried his head under tlie body of his mate in a reversed position. He stepped aside, and tlie female with her feet tickled the apex of his abdomen. The next day at 6 A. M. he saw a little web constructed by one of his Argyronetas. He gradually filled the bottle with fresh water, whereupon the couple began to work with extraordinary activity, and in less than an hour's time had formed a cell which looked like a bubble of air and had the form of a subterranean vault. The male and female kept together. As soon as the cell was finished, and on the same morning, the female made a web at the surface of ^5S. W %M prise, she immediately de- posited her eggs and envel- oped them in a silken co- coon. The cocoon was placed near the surface of the water, and upon the very walls of the vessel. The eggs, which were of a beautiful orange yellow, could be seen through the fine, white tissue of the cocoon. July 29th, at six o'clock morning, Walckenaer saw the female near her eggs; then she ascended to the surface and dived. The male Joined himself to his companion. The two spiders gently rub- bed the extremities of their anterior feet one against the other, having the air of ca- ressing. Soon this movement of the feet became more brusque and ap- peared menacing. The male, struck by the feet of the female, suddenly Caress- Jf P®*^. ^^^'^^' ^"^^ *^^ P^^^ presently sought each other anew. ing. '•'•'^'^^' interlaced their legs, the one within another, and gi-adually approached nearer and nearer, head against head. The man- dibles were opened; they flung themselves one upon • another; afterwards recoiled, separated instantly, and sprang aside as if they had suddenly been seized with fear. Thereupon the female returned to her posit
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectspiders, bookyear1889
