The Common Spiders of the United States — John Shaqi
The Common Spiders of the United StatesEmerton, J. H. (James Henry)
Science
The Common Spiders of the United States
Emerton, J. H. (James Henry)
Spiders -- United States
The simplest and best way to preserve spiders for examination is to put
them in alcohol. It kills them immediately and keeps their form and
markings and, to a great extent, their colors. They may be kept alive
for a few days in glass bottles or jars. It is not necessary to make
holes in the covers, or to feed the spiders often. They need water, and
this can be furnished them conveniently by putting a piece of wet paper
or rag in the bottle.
If one wishes to find what spiders live in his neighborhood, they must
be looked for at all times and in all kinds of places. The house and
cellar should be looked over and the spiders watched until they are
fully grown. The outside of the house and fences should be looked over
occasionally in the same way, only those spiders being taken that are
full grown, unless they are of new or rare kinds. A great many spiders
may be found on the garden fences of a shady street, especially in the
early summer and again in the autumn. At both seasons they are more
active in the middle of the day and more likely then to be wandering
about. The writer always carries two small bottles, one a common
homeopathic medicine vial, holding one or two drams and half full of
alcohol, the other a straight tube vial, without any neck and about the
same size, that is kept always dry and occasionally wiped out to remove
the threads that are made in it. The dry bottle is placed quickly over
the spider and moved about until the spider is coaxed to go into it. The
bottle is then turned up and closed with a finger until the other bottle
can be uncorked and the spider shaken into the alcohol. In the fields
and along the country roads the stones and sticks that have been lying
for some time on the ground should be carefully lifted and searched,
both on the under surface and on the ground below. The stones and sticks
should be turned back into the same places so that other spiders may
find at once comfortable places to hide under. If they are dropped on
new ground, it may be a year before they are fit to use again. Among
trees and shrubs the best things are to be found by moving slowly about
and watching for spiders, nests, and cobwebs without disturbing them.
The webs can be best seen when moving toward the light. The greatest
number of spiders can usually be found along paths and the edges of
woods, and paths through the woods are the best places for many ground
spiders.
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