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THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



the sides of the ditch. The spider commenced tugging at his 

 prize in order to land it. The observer ran to the nearest honse 

 for a wide-mouthed bottle, leaving his friend to watch the strug- 

 gle. During an interval of six or eight minutes' absence the spi- 

 der had drawn the fish entirely out of the water ; then both creat- 

 ures had fallen in again, the bank being nearly perpendicular. 

 There followed a great struggle, and on Mr. Spring's return the 

 fish was already hoisted head first more than half its length out 

 upon the land. It was very 

 much exhausted, hardly mak- 

 ing any movement, and was 

 being slowly and steadily 

 drawn up by the spider, who 

 had evidently gained the vic- 

 tory. She had not once quit 



Fig. 2.— A Fish captured by a Dolomede Spider. 



her hold during the period of a quarter to half an hour of obser- 

 vation. Her head was directed toward the fish's tail ; she stepped 

 backward up an elevation of forty-five degrees, dragging her cap- 

 tive with her. 



The observers were unfortunately unable to await the issue of 

 the matter, and therefore caught the combatants in the bottle, 

 partly filled with water. The fish swam languidly at the bottom 

 of the vessel, and the spider stood sentinel on the surface, turning 

 when the fish turned and watching every motion. The bottle was 

 set aside and visited after an interval of three hours. The spider 

 was then found dead at the bottom of the jar, but the fish was 

 alive and lived twenty-four hours afterward. The spider was 

 three fourths of an inch long and weighed fourteen grains; the 

 fish was three and one fourth inches long and weighed sixty-six 

 grains. The spider was probably bruised by the catching. 



