•if
IM
''ili Iii
pellucid, like a coat or membrane. At the extremity is C. a tubercle feated on the curvature,
which I know not whether to call a tefticle or not. D. and E. ihew the two other hairy
joints of the arm. The arms of the female are cylindiic, and are harili, with unequal hairs
and prickles. The holders are obtufe, perpendicular, ihining, with a fine fcattered down
upon them, black, and armed with ihort claws. The eggs are yellowiih, feparate, fmall,
round, in two or three maffes, involved in a flender bag, hung in'a web, fixed to a wall, in a
dark place. The females conftantly guard them, except when they go to feize flies, which are
catched in their webs. None of the young, which come out the middle of June, attam their
perfeft form the fame year.
T H I S fpecies weaves a web, as thick as that of the former affortment, and as flat. But fince
thefe, befides the flat web, throw out threads more or lefs perpendicular, and are in lhape
different from the others, I have no doubt but that they belong to this divifion.
S P E C I E S XII.—A. TBIANGULARIUS.
T R I A N G U L A R - S P I D E R .
T h e s e copulate the beginning of September. Plate 3, fig. i. Tlùs and the foregoing
Ipecies might be taken for the fame, on account of the fimilitude of form, and manner of
weaving their webs, were it not that other circumfl:ances perfuade us to the contrary.
THE two lowermoft eyes in the middle, are lefs and nearer together than the two upper
ones. The two fide-ones are fo clofe, that they can fcarcely be diftinguifhed. The legs are
glofly, flender, longiih, downy, and furniflied with long prickles. The legs of the male are
longer than thofe of the female. The thorax is ovate, rather flender, and carinated towards
the anterior part ; wider and flattifli towards the hinder part, and flightly, or even fcarce at all
downy. The abdomen bright, hollowed, and marked on the upper part by a fliarp white
line, and on each fide towards the lower part with a fmall yellowifli one. Three reddifli
marks, which are almofl: triangular and continuous, occupy the upper flat part, in a longitudinal
diredion. This flattened part is thinly fcattered with foft and very Ihort down. The
arms
if
•i:
I-
( 33 )
arms are guarded with longifl. hairs and duiky prickles. I had not an opportunity of furvey
ing with a microfcope, thofe of the male. The holders flender, long, pretty prominent, much
divaricated, and armed with unufually long claws.
THE webs of this fpecies, abound fo much with threads that are perpendicular, and crofs
them in all direftions, that it is difficult to diftinguifli the flat or proper web from the e, as it
is very thin; nor yet can the SpUers of this fort be properly placed in the following divifion,
^ T r a b o v e webs hardly ever appear flat, but rather with a vertical and tranfverfely fituated
part and with large convexities. Other webs are expanded with many minute flexures in an
L q u e manner. The Xl th Species of Spider, c.ds fewer tranfverfe ligaments, nor does it
diftend its flat web by fo diverfified an expanfion, although it thickens it better than the prefent
fpedes. Thefe two fpecies might not improperly conftitute a new genus, or aflbrtment
of if it were thought neceflaiy; but this Heave to the further examination of future
obfervers.
C H A P T E R IV.
O F THE THIRD KIND OF WEB-SPIDERS, OR
W E A V E R S .
I- T h e webs of thefe Spiders, lefs remarkable at firfl: fight than thofe of the two former divifions,
are in reality ftill more confpicuous proofs of the wifdom of the' Creator. While we
view the thick and multiform webs of thefe animals, fome circular, fome pyramidal, and of
various other appearances, we cannot but be imprefliid with the higheft admiration. I have
feen the labyrinth-like flexures of thefe webs, rifing in a fingular connedion of cones and
hollows, to the height of three or four feet, as will be particularized in the following
defcriptions.