Chapter I: Preface

The object of this book is to give a plain account of the best known habits of spiders, and as much of their anatomy and classification as is necessary to understand these habits. The portion on the spinning and flying habits is copied chiefly from Blackwall and Menge; that on the trap-door spiders from Moggridge; and the habits of Nephila and Hyptiotes, from Wilder. The observations of these authors have been repeated as far as possible, and some changes and additions made to their accounts of them. The numerous stories of deadly poison, supernatural wisdom, and enormous size and strength of spiders, have been omitted as doubtful. Several cuts from the papers of Professor Wilder have been repeated by favor of the author and publishers. Most of the figures are, however, new, and engraved by photography from my own drawings.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.
PAGE
Anatomy and Classification.—External Parts of a Spider.—Feet.
—Palpi and Maxillæ.—Mandibles.—Breathing-Holes.—Epigynum.
—Spinnerets.—Eyes.—Colors and Markings.—Internal Organs.—
Intestine.—Heart.—Breathing-Organs.—Nervous System.—
Poison Glands.—Families of Spiders 11

CHAPTER II.

Eating and Biting.—Structure of the Mandibles.—Mouth.—Eating
Insects.—Biting.—Experiments on Poison of Spiders.
—Tame Spiders 32

CHAPTER III.

Spinning-Habits.—Spinnerets.—Spinning-Glands.—Beginning
of a Thread.—Holes and Nests.—Burrows of Lycosa.—Trap-door
Nests.—Tubes and Nests of Drassidæ.—Webs of Agalena.—Webs
of Linyphia and Theridion.—Spiders living in Webs made by
Others.—Round Webs.—Epeira Vulgaris.—Zilla.—Nephila.—
Habits in the Web.—Curled Webs.—Cribellum and Calamistrum.
—Webs of Amaurobius.—Regular Webs of Dictyna.—Triangle
Web.—Round Webs with Curled Thread 38