210 AMERICAN SPIDERS AND THEIR SPINNINGWORK. 



extremity to the centre of tlie orb, and at the other to a cavity in the 

 rocks, D, at which the aranead had her den. The line CC undoubtedly 

 served as a trapline and a sort of bridge along which the spider moved 

 from her snare to her nest. But its general appearance and structure sug- 

 gested the idea that it Avas braced by the line BB, and acted as a stay to 

 the orb itself. ^ 



I was inclined to think that this peculiar spinningwork showed an 

 effort of the spider to brace a snare peculiarly exposed to winds. It may 

 be, however, that the line B was an abandoned foundation line, or was one 

 of those tentative threads which spiders are often spinning, and that its 

 connection with the trapline was either an accident or afterthought. Per- 

 haps, indeed, it might have been intended to increase the communicating 

 power of the trapline. 



The fact is, one is very apt, by an unconscious anthropomorphism, to 



attribute to the humblest creatures of the fields methods of reasoning and 



principles of action which have no existence in the inferior ani- 



Antnro- j^^j^^g^ and are simply the reflections of a higlier intellect upon 



. the works of a lower one. The naturalist must continually be 



ism. . "^ 



on his guard against thus attributing to the creatures whose 

 habits he is studying methods which in like circumstances would have 

 been suggested to his own mind. 



An illustration of this is quite in point. I have at various times met 

 suggestions that especial engineering skill is shown by spiders in protect- 

 ing their snares from the effects of wind or other violence of the natural 

 elements, by the use of sundry objects as counterpoises. Although I had 

 little faith in the theory, it seemed to me entitled to careful examination. 

 Once while walking along a graveled path bordered on either side by 

 shrubbery, I saw what exactly corresponded with reports of so called en- 

 gineering spinningwork. A large orb web blocked the entire pathway be- 

 fore me. The foundation lines were strung across the walk and supported 

 upon the bordering shrubbery, but a large pebble hung to the bottom of 

 the web. It was nearly two inches above the surface of the ground, and 



my first thought was, here now is a case that confirms the opin- 



A Case or j^j^ ^.j^^^^ spiders support their orbicular snares with weights in 



• order to balance them against the wind ! Kneeling upon the 



ground, I made a careful survey of the premises, and came to 

 the conclusion that there was no special intention in the case at all, but 

 that the uplifting of the pebble was a matter of accident. The spider had 

 run down her su})porting lines to the ground, as is her invariable custom 

 when spinning in a similar site; but, not having a tuft of grass or like 

 material whereon to fasten the lines, she stuck them upon one of the 

 pebbles scattered over the walk beneath. 



Now the pebble lay but loosely in its artificial matrix, and when the 

 wind rose and })layed upon tlie orb web, bellying it somewhat, and Avhen 



