Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1910-05-27

are those spiders which sDin saucer
shaped snares surmounted by a tanele
of threads into which flies blunder,
falling in their confusion into the
sheets of web beneath. In this group
are the smallest known spiders, seme
of them measuring less than a miili-
metre in total body length. Many of
them are aeronauts. feeling vast
distances by siikep~fnreads emitted
from their spinners. They seem able
to regulate their flight to some extent
by paying out more thread as they de-
sire to rise and rolling it up by means
# their legs when they wish to de-
scend. Often in suitable localities
and under favorable meteorological
conditions immense multitGdes of
these tiny creatures simultaneously
embark upon their strange journeys
Trial threads. false starts and col
iisions are inevitably frequent and the
accumulations Of web descend as
delicate flakes Of. .gossamer, to the
considerable surprise oi the super
stitious rustic. who as a rule attrlb
utes the phenomenon to the fairies or
occasionally duplicates the Virgin
Mary.
The water spider, which makes 4
silken bell beneath the surface of
ponds fills it with air and within it
brings up its family, is well known to
all readers of general works on ma
tural history Il may surprise some.
however, to learn that this species
IS very closely allied to cur common
est house spiders. The male of the
water spider is larger thar his mate.
a most unusual thing among spiders.
The vagabond spiders include. be-
side number Of little known
groups, three well marked sections
which we may broadly refer to as the
crab spiders. the volt spiders and the
jumping spiders. Some Of the crab
spiders are exceedingly rapid, but
the more typical species move very
deliberately and trust to cunning
rather than to speed for the capture
of their victims. Often these spiders
are speckled and blotched so as to
resemble exactly the ground upon
which they rest. and one well-known
species, Misumens vatia. which is of
an almost uniform yellow or greenish
white tint hides in the centre of flow
ers and seizes insects which approach
to gather honey. Even bees are not
immune from the attacks OF this feFo-
eious little creature their stings
bcfpar nr,.i, teta4tltss ..faaad gar ,4e,
against a foe who seizes them by the
head and drags them into a blossom.
The wolf spiders are dark erea-
lures, commonly Of some shade Of
brown. which run feAriessly upon
the ground in tho open They often
occur in enormous numbers in suit
able spots. giving one the impression
that they live 10 packs . The eggs
when laid are enclosed in q small
spherical Of leuticular sac. which is
carried by the female attached to her
spinnegs. This sac she guards with
the greatest care, manifesting the
greatest concern and searching dili-
gently for it should she be deprived
of the precious packet. Nevertheless
she will receive the sac of another fe-
mate With every indication Of satis-
faction. and. IL fact, piece Of pith
cut to approximately the same size
as the original sac is. as often as not,
accepted, and tenderly guarded.
a small section of the wolf spiders,
popnlarly known az the pirates.
ffsrfteafe the beFhaga upan the sides