[Illustration: FIG. 454. Egg cocoon of Argiope riparia in marsh grass. Natural size.] $Argiope transversa.$--This species is a little smaller than _riparia_. It lives in the same places and matures a little later, about September 1. The abdomen is more pointed than that of _riparia_ (fig. 455). The ground color is white or light yellow, and is crossed by a great number of black transverse lines, which are sometimes obscured, especially in young spiders, by a thick covering of silvery-white hairs. The cephalothorax is covered with white hairs through which the dark markings on the sides show indistinctly. The legs are light yellow, with black bands at the ends and middle of each joint. The femora of the first legs are sometimes entirely black. The young have the back entirely white. The markings of the under side are similar to those of _riparia_. The male (fig. 456) is colored like the female, but is only a fourth as large. The legs are yellow, marked with black spots, but have no rings. It has the same habits as _riparia_. It remains in its web later in the season, and makes a cocoon flattened on the top (fig. 458) instead of narrowed to a neck, like those of _riparia_. [Illustration: FIGS. 455, 456. Argiope transversa.--455, female. 456, male. Both enlarged twice.] [Illustration: FIG. 457. Web of Argiope transversa in an opening among marsh grass, covered above by wilted ends of grass leaves.] [Illustration: FIG. 458. Egg cocoon of Argiope transversa in marsh grass.] This species often makes its web in marsh grass, which it draws away and fastens with silk (fig. 457). As the surrounding grass becomes long and weak, it sometimes falls away, leaving the web in a basket of grass fastened firmly enough together to remain standing. THE GENUS TETRAGNATHA