Gravid females differ largely in their modes of caring for their eggs and young. Most species enclose the eggs in a silken sac, naked and glossy; in some bordered with sharp, hard, spinous processes or conical tubercles at the base, which for the most part overhangs the cephalo-thorax. The pedicle or stem unit ing these two principal parts of the body is a short cartilaginous tube through which pass the organs of nutrition and circulation. This partial description, with the accompanying figures, will give a sufficient general idea of the structure and appearance of the most common species.
The mature male is most readily distin guished from the female by the bulbous shape of the terminal joints of the palps, which often assume involved forms that serve as good spe cific characters. Some times, as in certain orb weavers, the male is so much smaller than his mate that the disparity seems ridiculous. Woo ing under such conditions is a serious under taking. One will see several diminutive cour tiers in attendance at the outer courts of the snare of our native species, the orange and the silvery Argiope (A. aurantsum, A. argyraspis); and not infrequently dead and juiceless skele which is protected in various ways. Orange Argiope spins a large pyriform cocoon with a tough, nearly waterproof case, lined inside with yellow floss, which encloses an ovate mass of brown silk, within which are the eggs number ing as high as a thousand or more. This is hung upon bushes, stayed and surrounded by sundry braces and cross-lines. The labyrinth spider (Epeira labyrinthea) puts her eggs into several silken discs strung together in a bead like row, which is swung within the thick maze that surrounds the leaf-thatched domicile that overhangs her orb. Many orbweavers spin their cocoons in angles of cornices, under bark, in cracks and crevices, knot-holes and sheltered openings of all sorts. A bit of loose bark on an old tree is a favorite cocooning place for many spiders; there the speckled tubeweaver will often deposit her eggs within several wraps of silk, all overlaid with bark pellets gnawed from the tree. Some of our familiar lineweavers, as Theridium tepidariorum, put their eggs into several brown sacs which they keep near them within their netted cobwebs, on which the spiderlings hang when they are hatched. Many tubeweavers and laterigrades spin a tough disc, white, gray, mottled or pinkish, against various surfaces, especially on or under stones. Most species die shortly after cocooning and the young are left to the nurture of nature. Others have some sort of care over the spiderlings when they appear and until they leave the home bounds. Among ground-spiders (Lycosida) one notes the interesting habit of tying the round egg-bag to the spinnerets and carrying it around until the younglings come out, when they mount the mother's back and are borne around clinging thereto until they disperse. A
mother with a hundred babies piled upon her body as she runs over the ground is a gro tesque spectacle; but the oddity vanishes in the light of mother-love. At least one species, the European water-spider, cocoons under water within her diving-bell-like domicile. This is hut a glance at the varied forms which ma ternal instinct takes among spiders to perpetu ate the race.
Beneficial Uses.— One needs to give good heed who would know how large a part spiders have in the economy of nature. They are among the most numerous of our fellow-tenants of the earth. A fair idea of the myriads that live near us may be had on a dewy morning of late sum mer or early autumn. Glancing over the fields and along the country roadsides one will see their webs, disclosed by the minute beads of mist caught by the delicate threads, literally covering the low herbage. Turning the eyes to hushes and trees, the branches, twigs and leaves are seen to he meshed with spinning work. In short, the whole landscape is overspread with the tents and meshes of the aranean hosts. Other hosts could be found by raking amid fal len leaves and earth litter and searching be neath stones, logs and rubbish, in hollow trees, post-holes and crannies, under ledges and along the water side. There is scarcely a spot, indeed, where some species of spider may not be found. The problem of commissary supplies for this in numerable army is an important one, and its consideration opens up a strange contradictory phase of human nature, or perhaps one should say of human ignorance.
The• popular prejudice against spiders has been so long fixed that it is hard to overcome it, hut is yielding before the better knowledge of natural objects and sympathy therewith that now prevail. The prejudice is perhaps largely due to erroneous views of their ugliness and dangerousness. The species frequenting cellars and outhouses are dark colored and at first glance somewhat ungainly. But to judge the race by these would lead one as far astray as to judge all birds by buzzards and crows. In truth, some spider species rival butterflies and beetles in brilliancy of color. And these are not tropical forms alone, but are among our indig enous species and may he found in most parts of America by searching fields, bushes, bosky brook-sides, the edges of woods and open places therein. Delicate greens, pink, ruby, scarlet, orange, yellow, brown, gray and metallic hues, silver and green especially, abound, and give remarkable beauty to the outer robing of our native fauna. Exotic species are even more brilliant.