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web was secured. The big insect gained rapidly upon its desired prey. When the 
little spider was barely an inch in advance of its pursuer, the small spider cut with 
one of its posterior legs the line behind itself, so that the stronger one fell to the 
ground, thus affording time and opportunity for the diminutive spider to escape 
along the ascending rope of the web. 
Many similar anecdotes might be given to show their sagacity. Spiders in 
common with many other animals above and below them, are often observed to 
assume the appearance of death. They draw up their legs, and roll helplessly 
down, and will even allow their bodies to be injured with Spartan or Indian 
equanimity without throwing off the deceit until they believe the danger to be past 
or suspect the deceit to be found out. 
The loves of the spiders is a tragic chapter. To all who choose to 
watch them closely, this subject will prove one of unflagging interest. Spiders 
scorn “‘the gentle dalliance of love.” The affection of the mother seems 
to exhaust itself in the love for her eggs; she cares little apparently for her 
own lover. The gentleman spider, always much smaller than the lady, runs a 
most terrible risk in his wooing. Should his attentions not be well received, woe 
betide him. He will require his utmost activity to prevent being eaten up whole- 
sale without remorse. Should his attentions be accepted, the danger is scarcely 
less great. He is obliged to be exceedingly alert to escape his lady’s ferocity. This 
is said to account for the small number of males in comparison to the females. 
It is computed that there are nearly one hundred females to one male spider. If 
the eggs of the female were not so numerous, and if she did not exert her utmost 
care to save them, spiders might probably become extinct, 
‘*Gloomily retired 
The villain spider lives, cunning and fierce.” 
The general character of the spider will have been gathered already from the 
many observations that have been given. Their ugliness, their ferocity, their 
selfish unsocial habits, their life-long greed of prey, the glutinous nets they spin 
for their victims, and the poison they kill them with, all tend to create a dread and 
prejudice against spiders that cannot find words too strong to express itself, 
Murder is the common charge against them. But spiders are not murderers, they 
are hunters in the strictest sense of the word, for they hunt and kill but to eat— 
“Like warlike as the wolf for what we eat 
Our valour is, to chase what flies.” 
With what ingenuity and skill do they spread their nets. How industriously they 
work ; with what assiduous care do they clean their webs; with what unflagging 
perseverance do they watch for their prey, and when once the game appears, with 
what energy and boldness do they attack it, however large it may be. If they use 
the poison nature has given them, it does but deaden the sensation of the victim to 
the fate that awaits him. A clever writer has compared mankind to spiders, and 
it must be confessed that in their hunting proclivities the comparison is uncomfor- 
tably close, and he concludes with the idea that if the spider is somewhat wanting 
in sentiment and amiability, at any rate it has neither “‘ pride nor avarice,” which 
are the marked attributes of mankind. 
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