. 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. 234 AMERICAN Sl'IDEKS AND THEIR SPINNINUWORK. Acci- dental Assem- blage. quite beyond the power of human art. These orbs were not all of one dimension, although multitudes did agree in size, but they were nearly all of two species, Epcira strix and Epeira triaranea, principally the former. They were undoubtedly composed of several broods of these ara- neads, of an ctjual age, who had, under favorable circumstances, been distrib
. 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. 234 AMERICAN Sl'IDEKS AND THEIR SPINNINUWORK. Acci- dental Assem- blage. quite beyond the power of human art. These orbs were not all of one dimension, although multitudes did agree in size, but they were nearly all of two species, Epcira strix and Epeira triaranea, principally the former. They were undoubtedly composed of several broods of these ara- neads, of an ctjual age, who had, under favorable circumstances, been distributed in the same vicinity.' I may here again refer (see Vol. I., page 64) to the numerous colonies of Epeira sclo- petaria which domicile within a limited area upon the surfaces of the boat houses at Atlantic City and Cape May, as another example of accidental rather than gregarious assemblage. These colonies spin their orbs between the outer walls, above the Inlet waters and hang the snares to foundation lines ten and fifteen feet long. (Fig. 256.) My notes show several ob- servations of this kind : At the summit of a tall branch- ing weed had been woven a large orbweb, which, probably after it had been abandoned, was occupied by a group of young Epeiroids, Furrow spi- ders. These little settlers, with a fine acquisitiveness that sug- gested the once famous Amer- ican theory of " squatter sov- ereignty," had seized upon the araneal commons, and every one appropriating to itself a corner or segment of the ter- ritory, had woven a small orb- web. These snares were pitched between the radii, which in places were cut away, and which made excellent founda- tion lines. (Fig. 257.) This certainly seemed a canny operation, and might have been held to savor of economy did not one know the prodigality of spiders in the matter of their spinningwork. This use of large abandoned webs I have elsewhere seen afield and also around houses, once in a hotel outbuilding, once in a broke
Size: 1423px × 1756px
Photo credit: © Central Historic Books / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectspiders, bookyear1889
