Identifier: hardwickesscienc04cook (find matches)
Title: Hardwicke's science-gossip : an illustrated medium of interchange and gossip for students and lovers of nature
Year: 1868 (1860s)
Authors: Cooke, M. C. (Mordecai Cubitt), b. 1825 Taylor, J. E. (John Ellor), 1837-1895
Subjects: Science Natural history
Publisher: London : Robert Hardwicke
Contributing Library: MBLWHOI Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MBLWHOI Library

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referred to. The Theridion riparium is essentially a light-avoider; at all events, has a great antipathy to stronglight, and usually constructs her singular nest underthe shade of overhanging banks, seldom making her * A History of the Spiders of Great Britain and Ireland, byJohn Blackwall. R. Hardwicke, 186l and 1864. appearance during the day, but becoming active asdarkness creeps on. Desirous of observing more closely the habits ofthis little creature, I suspended five of the newly-built nests in the dead branches of a standard rose-bush, and placing this in a circular fern-case, coveredthe whole with a bell-glass. As soon as all wasstill, my proteges left their nests, and at once set towork to make them secure by attaching lines fromthem to surrounding objects. This operation wasnot accomplished without some difficulty, as, thespace being limited, the spiders constantly crossedeach others lines, aud for two days my little friendsengaged in numberless conflicts; however, at the end
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Fig. 2. Nest of pellets of earth, &c. of this time they appeared to have made somefriendly arrangement, as a collision seldom after-wards occurred, with one exception. In removingone of the nests, I had used it so roughly as to causethe lower part to collapse, and two of the spidershaving attached their lines to it, had so securelyclosed the entrance as to prevent the egress of itsoccupant. Succeeding at last in making her way out,she was not successful in getting in again, so, boldlyattacking a smaller spider with a more commodiousdomicile, endeavoured to take forcible possession.The rightful owuer fought long and bravely in de-fence of her home and embryo family, until, draggedforth by the leg by sheer force, she became an out-cast and a wanderer; and although many attemptswere afterwards made to regain possession of thehome she had been at so much pains to construct,they were all unavailing, and she shortly after died.In the course of a few days a brood of young spidersappeared

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