The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-03-28
SPIDERS.
Some Odd Facts About the Web spiBners
and Their Halbits.

From N, saturday Rrr'cr
The male of The vel known Re rien spider
IN a tLsy creature. unfamiliar to the casual
observer and very different from the female
both In form and habits. Although In early
life he can construct an . exceedingly perfect
snare. he seems To lose he srt. or az any rate
the ambition tn exercise IL. upon reaching
maturity. and merely snirs few tangled
threads intended, no doubt. us a position %
vantage from which to approach his lady
love His COurtship l., a. a ruIe. an ignO-
miniOus affair lie h. bullied. pushed oU~ OF
the web and. not infreauently. tr'issed
UP aud relega ted To the In rider by his physi-
cally superior spouse
Zilla. very common dusky colOred spider
which frequents stone walls and fences. has
improved somew hat upon the orb web Of the
garden spider. inasmuch as she leaves one
segment devoid OF the sticky cross threads
to facilitate her IA SsaRe from her hiding
place to the hub Of the web. Hyptiotes
seems however to have reached the high.
est development In the orb spinning art.
Tho snare l. reduced to a mere triangls
stretched upon a firm, elastic thread. and a.
the apex sits The obscure little owner With
coil of thread hrmly held in such a ma nne-
that the whole web is drawn forward under
considerable tension. No sooner does ~
attempt 20 pass than the thread H. released
and the web springs forward like a catapult
Closely allied to the orb spinrers ire those
spiders which spin saucer shaped snsr~s
surmOuntsd hv tangle Of threads into
which flies hlundrr. falling in their con-
fusion into the sheet Of web beneath IN
his group are the smallest known spiders
some Of them measuring less than q milii-
metre In total body length. Many of them
are aeronauts. travelling vast distances
by silken threads emitted from their spin
nsrr. They seem able 10 regulate their
flight 90 some extent by Iaying sut more
thread A. they deSire TO rise and rolling II
up by means of their legs when thew wish
to descend. Often In suitable localities
and under favorable meteoroioEicql condi-
tons immense multitudea 90 thc-e tiny Crea-
lures simultaneously embark utsrn their
strange JOURNEYS. Trial threads false
qUent and the accumulations ~ web
descend delicate IA kes Of RoSaamer
10 the considerable surprise Of the super
phenomenon TO the fairies or occasionally
smplcates the Virgin Mary.
The water apider. which Tnakee stlken
bell beneath the surface 81 ponds, hlls II
with S,r aud within e bring. NJ iis family,
We. 81 Sp ns,ur, hor reAd.rT 81 S.rsT.
l. very closely aflIed to our conmonest
l. larger than his mate, a mos, unusual
thing among spiders
The vasahond spiders include; besLdssS
marked sections which We may broadly re-
fer 20 as the crab spiders, the wolf spiders
spiders are sxcsedinsly rapid, but the more
typscal species move very deliberately and
es 70 ~ ss sshs than e b s
splders are perkled and blotched so a. 20
resemble exactly the ground upon which
umens vatia. which 10 Of an almost uniform
yellow or greenish white tint, hides In he
70 ssh.r SoSsy EsS ZEE. s
not immune from the attacks Of this fero-
aSSSn '' n.ccs Snr 1ss s snss Sens
selves them BY the head and drAgs them
The vol spiders are dark creatures. con-.
monty o. some shade Of brown, which run
Isarlsesly upon the ground IN the open;
that they live IN packs" The eggs when
.I@ ARE A.: .n nc Ss e |. email sPssrs Z.
EaSrds with the greatest care. manifsstinS
ssHtiy for Il should she 6s dsprivsd Il Is.
precious packet. Nevertheless she wtI
rsSsa.s the ssc % a5oShsr female 18th ever,
piece Of Pith cut to approximately the same
sizs a. the original sao n. a. often a. Sos.
small ssetion 81 he ~SI2 spiders. popu.
larry known as the pirates. frc0uents the
They chase their Grey upon the surface
81 the water. often diving when threatensd
BY 90 enemy AZ sIlIsa specie. sst H,hly
debris. upon which Il circumnav igates ponds
Of considerable maEnitude. hiding beneath
Probably. however. the most curiou:
spiders as far ~ habits are CONCERNED
are the saltlctds OF jumping spiders. Ihess
creatures have been fairly extensively
studied, especially In the United States.
Z nd thelE life histories Wousd make . volume
male during the CouTtipi period are nost
extraordinary. especially when. AZ Otter
of one lady. Dancinw matches and wTcsi-
Ing bouts. In which the spiders appear
carefully to avoid using their poison az
paYatus, are the uGsInl menna OF doctning
The claim, and, tho female having made
her choice, tha rei@ut@d aattCr depaFsa nttAs
he worse for the encounter. should, how
sver two GONZALES eOmS 10 blows tho result
. very different. Within q few nomanis
he stroke Of a pplngn hang ggneEallg k,eyys
MIN -. Z = -. -. y. y. ss.e 10 ~