Chapter I: Preface

The modest dimensions of this book are perhaps sufficient indication that it is not intended as an aid to the collector. There are about five hundred and fifty known species of spiders in the United Kingdom alone, and at least an equal number of pages would be needed to describe them.

Our concern is with the habits and modes of life of spiders—especially of such as are most frequently met with and most easily recognised, and the reader, especially if he is fortunate enough to spend an occasional holiday in southern Europe, will find little in the following pages which he cannot verify—or disprove—by his own observations. Indeed the hope that some of his readers may be induced to investigate on their own account has actuated the writer throughout, and has led him to lay considerable stress upon the methods of research and the ingeniously devised experiments by means of which whatever knowledge we possess has been obtained.

CECIL WARBURTON

CAMBRIDGE
_March, 1912_

CONTENTS

CHAP. PAGE

I. A Survey of the Field. Evidences of spider industry.
Where to look for spiders. Variety of habits 1

II. What is a Spider? The Arthropoda and their
divisions. Arachnida. Characteristics of a
spider. Spinnerets and their use 5

III. The Circular Snare. Foundation lines. The
spiral with its viscid beads. The building of
the snare. Why the spider is not caught in
its own snare 13

IV. The Mental Powers of Spiders. The human standpoint.
Instinct. Sight. Hearing. Smell.
Taste. Memory and “educability” 20

V. Trap-snares and Balloons. Variations of the
circular snare. The snare of _Hyptiotes_.
Webs of _Theridion_ and _Linyphia_. The iron
railing and its aeronauts. A race congress.
Gossamer. Geographical distribution 30

VI. _Agelena._ Its web. The spider and its behaviour
in captivity. The platform and its carpet.
The construction of the cocoon. Instinctive,
not intelligent 38

VII. Water-Spiders. Marine spiders. The fresh-water
spider. The diving bell, and how it
is filled with air. Behaviour of the male.
Winter and summer houses 47

VIII. Crab-Spiders.—Mimicry. The appearance of
crab-spiders. Their haunts. Protective
coloration and resemblance. Habits correlated
with structure. Probable origin of
“mimicry” 52

IX. Wolf-Spiders. General habits. Semi-aquatic
species. Nomads and settlers. Structure.
Eyes. _Lycosa picta._ A colony in full swing.
The burrow. Egg-bags. Recognition of
cocoons. Want of discrimination. The
Tarantula. Its haunts and habits. The
death-stroke. The burrow and its parapet.
Sunning the cocoon. Carrying the young.
Poisonous properties 58

X. Jumping Spiders. The Zebra Spider. Its structure.
Its wonderful eyes. Hunting its prey.
The use of the drag-line. Sight in jumping
spiders. Love dances. Sham-fights. A
remarkable piece of research 76

XI. Theraphosid Spiders. Sub-division of the Order.
Mandibles. _Atypus_ and its nest. Its habits.
Aviculariidae. A giant spider. Trap-door
nests. Method of burrowing. “Bird-eaters,”
and their habits. _Dugesiella._ Poor sight but
remarkable sense of touch. _Psalmopoeus_
in captivity 87

XII. Stridulation. How sound is produced in Arthropoda.
Its purposes. Popular mistakes.
Spines and Keys. The purring spider 105

XIII. The Spinning Apparatus. Spinnerets. Their
mobility. Spools and spigots. Glands. Arrangement
in _Epeira_. No interweaving of lines. Functions
of glands. Spinning operations.
The Cribellum. The feet of spiders 110

XIV. The Enemies of Spiders. Cannibalism. Egg
parasites. Moulting. Starvation. Body
parasites. Solitary wasps. A gruesome fate 120

XV. Concluding Reflexions. The “use” of spiders.
Wide range of habits. Complexity of instincts.
The mystery of the egg. The storage of
energy. Economy in diet. Conclusion 126

LITERATURE 133

INDEX 135

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

_Frontispiece._ The Banana Spider.

FIG.

1. A Spider, a Mite and a Harvestman 9

2. The Garden-spider and its snare 15

3. Stretching the viscid line 19

4. Preparing for flight 35

5. _Agelena_ at work 44

6. A Crab-spider 53

7. Wolf-spiders 64

8. A Jumping Spider 77

9. The eyes of a Jumping Spider 78

10. The love dance 84

11. Stridulating “keys” 108

12. Spinnerets 114

13. Spiders’ feet 119