. The popular natural history . Zoology. 576 THE GARDEN SPIDER. are found round spots arranged in a square. The male is rather larger than the female, and his legs are larger in proportion. He may, however, be distinguished by the large mandibles and longer palpi. We now arrive at the Epeiridae, a family containing some of the strangest members of the spider race. The best known of this family is the common Garden Spider, sometimes called the Cross Spider, from the marks upon its abdomen. This is thought to be the best typical exainple of all the Arachnidae. It is found in great numbers in our
. The popular natural history . Zoology. 576 THE GARDEN SPIDER. are found round spots arranged in a square. The male is rather larger than the female, and his legs are larger in proportion. He may, however, be distinguished by the large mandibles and longer palpi. We now arrive at the Epeiridae, a family containing some of the strangest members of the spider race. The best known of this family is the common Garden Spider, sometimes called the Cross Spider, from the marks upon its abdomen. This is thought to be the best typical exainple of all the Arachnidae. It is found in great numbers in our gardens, stretching its beautiful webs perpendicularly from branch to branch, and remaining in the centre with its head downwards, waiting for its prey. This attitude is tolerably universal among spiders ; and it is rather curious that the Arach-. GARDEN SPIDER.—{EpHra diadema.) nida: should reverse the usual order of things, and assume an inverted position when they desire to repose. The web of this spider is composed of two different kinds of threads, the radiatmg and supporting threads being strong and of simple texture. But the fine spiral thread which divides the web into a series of steps, decreasing in breadth towards the centre, is studded with a vast amount of httle glo- bules, which give to the web its peculiar adhesiveness. These globules are too small to be perceptible to the unassisted eye, but by the aid of a micro- scope they may be examined without difficulty. In an ordinai-y web, such as IS usually seen m gardens, there will be about eighty-seven thousand of these globules and yet the web can be completed in less than three-quarters of an Tu- . ^^ globules are loosely strung upon the hnes, and when they are rubbed off, the thread is no longer adhesive. Of all the Spider race the Scorpions are most dreaded, and justly so. These strange beings are at once recognized by their large claws and. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images
Size: 1726px × 1448px
Photo credit: © The Book Worm / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectzoology, bookyear1884
