34 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



would take to recover its prey, and the result was very 

 interesting, the more so because to get at a fly in such a 

 position again would be very difficult, if not almost impossible. 

 The spider ran down the thread attached to the fly, and pro- 

 ceeded to strengthen it by others, which it fastened high up 

 in the web ; after this it went down the back of the fly and 

 fixed a thread to the extremity of each wing, taking them up 

 as before. When this was accomplished two more threads 

 were attached to the hind legs, and, lo, the preparations were 

 complete ; but the most difficult part of the task remained to 

 be accomplished, for the fly, although securely bound, was 

 some distance below the web. The little spider was, how- 

 ever, equal to the occasion : it drew each thread tighter, and 

 slowly hauled up the fly, not only to the ledge, but over it, 

 and into the web. A very clever feat, when the great dis- 

 parity in size between the spider and its prey is taken into 

 consideration. 



Before leaving my workshop I placed another fly in the 

 web of the little straw-coloured spider, mentioned above. 

 This gave rise to an incident which was both amusing and 

 instructive. The little sj^ider ran down and seized its victim 

 by the leg, as before, and would no doubt have succeeded in 

 effecting another capture, but for a sliglit interruption, that 

 might have been attended with serious results. A much 

 larger spider, inhabiting the corner of the window two panes 

 removed, had evidently seen the struggle going on, for it 

 suddenly darted from its hole, and, rapidly clearing the two 

 intervening panes, made for the fly, which it promptly seized. 

 This put an end to the fly's struggles for life, but commenced 

 a trial of strength for its possession. The small spider had 

 never relaxed its tenacious grip, — not even when the larger 

 one had appeared; and it stoutly resisted all efforts to 

 deprive it of its prey. Instead of attempting to carry off the 

 fly bodily, the large spider attached a thread to it, and then 

 tried to drag it away from the little one, but without avail. 

 After watching this contest for some little time I was surprised 

 lo see the invader suddenly relax its efforts, and retreat as 

 rapidly as it had come, leaving the little one to secure its 

 prey unmolested. 



I then offered two flies in succession to the disappointed 

 spider, both of which it seized most eagerly out of my hand j 



