The Spiders' Exodus 



packed within would sprain their legs in ex- 

 tracting them from their sheaths. The fam- 

 ily, therefore, emerges in a body and settles 

 on a sprig hard by. 



This is a temporary camping-ground, where, 

 spinning in unison, the youngsters soon weave 

 an open-work tent, the abode of a week, or 

 thereabouts. The moult is effected in this 

 lounge of intersecting threads. The sloughed 

 skins form a heap at the bottom of 

 the dwelling; on the trapezes above, the 

 flaylings take exercise and gain strength and 

 vigour. Finally, when maturity is attained, 

 they set out, now these, now those, little by 

 little and always cautiously. There are no 

 audacious flights on the thready air-ship; the 

 journey is accomplished by modest stages. 



Hanging to her thread, the Spider lets her- 

 self drop straight down, to a depth of nine or 

 ten inches. A breath of air sets her swinging 

 like a pendulum, sometimes drives her against 

 a neighbouring branch. This is a step towards 

 the dispersal. At the point reached, there is 

 a fresh fall, followed by a fresh pendulous 

 swing that lands her a little farther afield. 

 Thus, in short tacks, for the thread is never 

 very long, does the Spiderling go about, see- 



211 



