DOM ESTICATED NATURE. 



73- 



How a Spider Saved Her Cocoon. 



BY W. C. KNOWLES, WASHINGTON, 



CONNECTICUT. 



Out in the garden a green tip had 

 poked its way through a decaying mat 

 of leaves, and to my delight I found 

 a bunch of daffodils had dared the 

 spring sunshine. Taking a spade, 1 

 decided to divide the clump of bulbs, 

 since they were already crowding the 

 hardy border. As a portion of the soil 

 crumbled back into the spot I was 

 digging, I saw a round white object 

 move frantically back and forth in the 

 bottom of the hole, and I soon discov- 

 ered that I had taken captive a female 

 spider with her cocoon attached to her 

 spinneret. 



I stopped my work and watched to 

 see if the little creature could climb 

 out of the pitfall. She was one of the 

 Lycosidse and so nearly the color of 

 her surroundings that without her 

 white burden, she doubtless would 

 have been buried in the sand. Each 

 time the spider tumbled back from 

 the edge of her prison, she grasped her 

 cocoon beneath her body using the 

 mandibles and a pair of her sturdy legs 

 to securelv hold the burden. 



When she had gained her freedom 

 I watched her course over the lawn 

 wdiere a tiny forest of grass blades had 

 sprung up after the rain. As soon as 

 the careful little mother found that 



the thread, which fastened the pre- 

 cious burden to her body was being 

 entangled among the stiff grass blades,, 

 she did not rush blindly ahead but 

 turned back and untangled her load as 

 deftly as human ringers unwind a snarl 

 in a string. 



At last I picked up the spider to 

 examine her markings and the slender 

 thread, which still fastened the cocoon 

 to the spinneret, broke in two and the 

 round cocoon rolled over the board 

 walk. Wondering how I conld undo 

 the mischief which careless fingers had 

 wrought I placed the cocoon and spider 

 in a small paper box. 



To my great surprise and pleasure 

 when I opened the box next day I 

 found that the spider had reattached 

 the cocoon to her spinneret. 



Out in the garden a happy spider 

 soon hurried away to the hardy border 

 where spring had already touched the 

 green things. 



This little magazine fills a long felt want 

 and is a credit to its maker.— George A. 

 King. 



I am glad that "The Guide to Nature" is 

 rapidly taking the place it ought to take. — 

 Earl Douglass. 



This (September), your last issue, is in- 

 deed a most splendid and attractive issue. 

 — R. Menger, M. D. 



"NOW LETS SIT DOWN AND THINK ABOUT IT" 



