spiderland spiderland spiderland

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K5925




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SPIDERS CURIOUS
Shamrock Spider

x i}).
Epeira Vertebrata x 15).
(

(

AND BEAUTIFUL

Banded Argiope, male (Nat.
Do.

female
Acrosoma gracile ( x

(

size).

do.

3).

).

Orchard Spider ( X
Plumefoot Spider
(Nat.

size).

2)


SPIDERLAND
BY

R. A.

ELLIS

WITH PHOTOGRAPHS AND DRAWINGS
BY THE AUTHOR

CASSELL AND COMPANY
LTD
London, New York,
Toronto and

Melbourne

1912


WELLCOME INSTITUTE
LIBRARY
Coll.

welMOmee

Coll

No

<\v.
..

ALL EIGHTS KESEEVED


AFFECTIONATELY
INSCRIBED TO

MY FATHBR,

ROBERT POWLEY

ELLIS, M.V.O.



i

'

i

:

PREFACE
The

scarcity of books

on the subject of spider life
is my excuse for assuming the role of guide into
“ Spiderland.” The fruit

of personal observation
and reading is set forth, in as graphic a form as I

command, by pen and camera. By the special
permission of Dr. H. C. McCook, of Philadelphia,
could

U.S.A.,

several

have been adapted for the
purposes of this book from “ American Spiders and
their Spinning-Work.”
Dr. McCook, whose death
figures

occurred in September, 1911, spent many years in
the study of spiders and their ways.
Writing to

me from Brook Camp, Devon,
months before

much

his

death,

interested in

my

popular book on spider
letter,

he said

:

Pa.,

U.S.A.,

eight

he stated that he was

project of getting ready a
life.

In the course of his

“I have sometimes thought

that I

would edit a popular edition of my three
volume

‘Work, but I have not been let
hitherto.
And
!I have reached an
age and condition

folio

now

of health that

debars such work.
to

your using as

...

I give the heartiest consent

much of the
pleasure and your purpose.”

book as may suit your
Through Dr. McCook’s


:

PREFACE

VI

kindness,

many

interesting phases of the spider

life

American continent have been introduced.
This book is intended primarily for young folk

of the

wherever

possible, therefore,

technical

terms have

been avoided.
I

hope that

it

may

prove to

many young

readers

an introduction to a little-known realm of Nature
study, and inspire in

them a

desire to explore for

themselves the wonderland of Nature.

R. A. E.


CONTENTS
Introduction

.

CHAPTER
1.

Structure of the Spider

2.

Mother-Love

3.

Young Aviators

4.

Orb-Weaving

5.

The Spider at Home

.

.

6.

Snares Elegant

7.

Gins Ingenious

8.

Dwellers Underground

9.

Huntsmen and Acrobats

.

10.

Foes and Defences

11.

The Spider a Philanthropist


)

LIST

OF PLATES

Spiders Curious and Beautiful

(

Colour

.

.Frontispiece
FACING PAGE

Foot

.......

of Orb-weaver,

iliary

comb

showing three claws and aux-

Claws from the foot of a Diadem Spider
Orb-weaver’s claws, also auxiliary combs
Head of male Leaping Spider, showing position of
eyes and club-like palps
Head of Wolf Spider, showing how the eyes are
placed in a watch tower
Hand-like palp of Orb-weaver

Jaws

of Spider

.

2

.

.

2

....
....
....
.......
....
.....

Jaws, mouth, and palps of female Diadem Spider
Spinneret showing spools above
Spinnerets of Orb-weaver
Comb on fourth leg of Spider used for teasing out
fine threads
Foot of Wolf Spider
Section of Spider
Fore part of body of Wolf Spider
A Spider’s lung-book

A

2

.

.......
......
......
...
......

2

2

4
4
4
4
4
6
6
6

8
8

canopy for the protection of the eggs
Mother Garden Spider hanging upon the guy ropes
of her cocoon fixed on the sides of a glass jar
The Garden Spider’s cocoon may often be found

10

tucked away in the crevice of an old tree
Basket Argiope cocoon building
Canopied cradles of Banded Argiope

10
12
12
14

leafy

.

.

....
...

.

Decorative nests of Tailed Spider (Caudata)
Riparium’s adorned wigwam
Nests of Brunnea, showing appearance before and
after being plastered with mud
.

.

.

.

.

10

.14

...

16


OF PLATES

LIST

IX
FACING PAGE

.......
......
....
.....
......

A

fond mother ( Pholcus phalangioides) guarding her
egg casket
A mother Scorpion
First ventures from the nest
Sending out a trial cable
Ballooning Spiders
Picturesque hedgerows of hawthorn, bramble, and

18
20
22
24
24

wild
rose form
good camping ground for
Spiders
quiet river bank is an ideal camping ground for
Spiders

26

A

The Garden Spider

....
....
......

in suspension

Putting in the viscid spirals

The entanglement

......
......

Trussing the victim

A

network of glistening dew pearls with Spider's
bower above

House Spider
Sheet net upon the edge
lace curtain

woven

lower corner

for the

unwary

'

Waiting for a victim

The Diadem Spider at attention
Diadem Spider makes a capture
iThe return in triumph
The feast
In touch with her sphere of
influence

Weaving the winding

stair

.

.

Argiope’s central shield and winding
stair
The male Spider lounges around
upon the
of his lady’s domain
sectoral web spanning

A

....

an open doorway

Triaranea secures a victim
Tnaranea enjoys a substantial
meal
A denizen of the jungle
Hammock snare of the Line-weaver

™

S’

38
40
42
42
42
42
42
44
46
46

outskirts

.

.

r

36
38

an old box with Spiders'

of

cast-off jackets in the

A

28
30
32
34
34

]

When alarmed habitually drop among

48
50
52
52
54
56

>

tne fohage, where
they find safety in quiescence

56


)

OF PLATES

LIST

X

....

FACING PAGE

Magnified threads of Lace-weaver
The underside of a leaf forms an excellent retreat
for a quiet repast
Primitive cave dwellings of Spiderland
A cautious reconnoitre
Semi-detached dwellings
Line-weaver guarding her pear-shaped cocoon

......
......
.....
.......

.....
......
......
......
.....
....
....
......
.....
......
.....
....
......
.

.

Water

lovers

Nest

of Trap-door Spider (from Cannes, S. France),
showing (1) top of door, (2) bevelled inside
edge
A moss-covered front door
A forked burrow
The Turret Spider

A

British cave-dweller
“ Will
The question put

you walk into my parlour ? ”
A bottle-shaped nest with over-lapping lid
The oldest fossil Spider
The Mygale is a hairy monster
Wolf Spider carrying its cocoon
The Leaping Spider casts anchor before springing

58

58
64
66
66
68
70

72
72
74
74
76

:

.

upon

its prey
Spider, showing club-like hairs
Leaping
Foot
Female Leaping Spider
Male Leaping Spider

of

A

Spider’s fight for

Mimicry

.

.

life

76
78
80
84
86

90
90
92
92
96
98
100
102

Colour
Crab Spider lurking among flower petals
An ant-like Spider
.102
Some angular characters in Spiderland
.106
foot-pad
sticky
showing
fly,
of
Foot
hungry
for
a
dinner
choice
forms
a
moth
A nice juicy

106
Spider
in Spiderland

(

.

.

.

.

.

.


INTRODUCTION
The

spiders of our houses

and gardens are members

of a very large family inhabiting Spiderland.
fall

naturally into two classes, the

They vary greatly
and modes of life. The habits
Wanderers.

They

Weavers and the

in size, form, colour,

of these tiny folk, in

snare-forming and nest-building, are most interesting

;

and their spinning-work

is

marvellously adapted

to the conditions

under which they

be placed.

are an astute

They

may happen

and philosophic

As the sage observed, they are “

little

to

race.

upon the

but they are exceeding wise.” Come with
on a visit to some of the typical members of this

earth,

me

world-wide family, and see how they fare in their
homes, how those homes are built, with what ingenuity traps are laid for their prey, and with what
great care the cradles are formed for the comfort

and protection of the baby spiders.
The spider has sometimes been spoken of as the

horrid” spider, and some are by no means
handsome. That is hardly a crime that
justifies execution.
We have said, doubtless with perfect sincerity,

“Weaving

spiders come not here;
Hence, you long-legg’d spinners, hence."


;

INTRODUCTION

xii

We

shall find,

however, that the spider

is

one

of

those whose friendship improves on acquaintance.

As we pursue our study, we shall discover that many
of them are far from ugly or unlovely
that many
;

form and colour, both curious and beautiful
and that their snares are true works of art. While
Nature withholds her secrets from the indifferent,
are, in

she

is

an open book to every
“

Come

willing learner.

forth into the light of things,

Let Nature be your teacher.”


SPIDERLAND
CHAPTER

I

STRUCTURE OF THE SPIDER
In order to understand how the spider spins, hunts,

and otherwise fulfils its place in
the economy of life about us, we must know something of its structure.
We do not wish this to be
a dull, uninteresting porch leading to Spiderland.
We will, therefore, illuminate it by pictures taken

feeds,

sees,

feels,

from Nature, so that we may faithfully represent
what even the most careful drawings would fail
to do.
If

we look

attentively at a spider in the garden
or hedgerow, as it gently sways in the centre of its
snare, or

we

shall

difficulty

hangs suspended from a leaf by its thread,
see that it can be distinguished without
from an insect. The body of an insect has

three clearly defined parts.

This

not so with the
Here we find but two distinct parts the
cephalo-thorax,” formed by the head and thorax
being dovetailed together; and the “
abdomen,” the
rounded softer portion of the creature’s body.
We shall not be slow to mark other differences,
as we compare an
insect, such as the all too familiar
y> with its deadly foe the spider.
Whereas the
is

spider.
1

insect has six legs,
the spider will

B

—

be found to be


SPIDERLAND

2

the happy possessor of eight, unless, of course, an
accident has occurred to rob it of any ; even then,

not be greatly troubled, for the next time
casts its skin, which it does about nine times
during its lifetime. Dame Nature will present it
with a new limb with the new skin. We shall not,
it

will

it

therefore, be prepared to find cork legs in requisition
in Spiderland.

The

legs

are

and are furnished
These claws are very

seven-jointed,

with strong, comb-like claws.
often used as cleansing instruments, for the spider
is very cleanly in its habits, and keeps a clean person
and home. The claws, of which we speak, are also
required in the capture of prey.
Their principal
use, however, is in the construction of snares and
cocoons.

In the process of spinning, the foot plays a
most important part. The spider always directs
her threads by the wonderfully sensitive, comb-like
instrument with which the foot terminates. By

means she draws in her lines and makes them
taut. The claw of the orb weaver is a combination
of three horny combs with teeth. One of the combs
its

considerably smaller than the others, and has
three teeth, while the larger ones have fifteen or
is

In addition to the claws, there are two or
three small auxiliary combs, or toothed spines,
which the spider is able to move towards the claws.
They thus fulfil the part that the thumb plays on
sixteen.

the

human

hand, and enable the spider to grasp

By means of her claws, the
her threads firmly.
“ her most
spider is able to suspend herself on
attenuated thread.” They aid her also in ascent,


FOOT OF ORB-WEAVER. SHOWING THREE
CLAWS AND AUXILIARY COMB

CLAWS FROM THE FOOT OF
A DIADEM SPIDER

ORB-WEAVERS CLAWS. ALSO
AUXILIARY COMBS

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