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
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