196 TENANTS OF AN OLD FARM. 



the Niagara bridge and the spider-engineer of the silken 

 bridges over Townes' llun operated upon the same prin- 

 ciple." 



"But tell us how it was done," said Abby. "I 

 haven't the most remote idea how such a creature can 

 fly either a 'kite' or a 'string,' much less how it can 

 go 'ballooning.' " 



" I will do so, and that brings me to the starting point 

 of Dan's morning experience. When he saw me I was 

 standing by a fence-post watching a small saltigrade 

 spider mount into the air. Its head was toward the 

 wind, its eight feet spread out in a circle, its abdomen 

 turned in the direction of the wind and elevated about 

 45°. From the little rosette of spinning mammals at 

 the end of the abdomen issued several very delicate fila- 

 ments whicU were caught by the breeze and floated 

 upward to the length of several feet. The legs of the 

 animal gradually bent l)ackward and downward, and 

 then — pop ! with a quick vault the wee creature was off 

 and away. (Fig. 6G.) 



"I leaped the fence, followed at full speed, trying to 

 keep my eyes upon the reronaut, which, of course, at 

 times compelled me to run back and forth, and at zig- 

 zag, as Dan put it, over the meadow. This had to be 

 repeated with a number of specimens ; but in the course 

 of the morning I succeeded in confirmuig and complet- 

 ing observations which I had made years ago." 



"But, tell us," Ab1)y asked, "how the spiders got 

 started in their flight over the meadow, and what that 

 has to do with your suspension bridges ?" 



