AERONAUTIC SPIDERS 



The story of a baby spider's life is most interesting 

 from its silken cocoon cradle to the final flitting and 

 setting-up for one's self on an independent web. With 

 all stages thereof the ballooning habit has much to do. 

 But let us now suppose that baby life is over. The 

 strong foster-hand of nature is on the young aranead, 

 urging it by the instinct of migration to seek a home 

 in the wide world of yonder meadow. It is a Lycosid — 

 a ground-spider — we will say; yet here we find it on the 

 top of this fence-post, where, with the aid of a pocket- 

 lens, one can watch its movements. Fences are favor- 

 ite ascension points, and upon them clusters of young 

 Lycosids are gathered. But the bushy heads of tall 

 weeds, the dainty, circular platform of the wild carrot's 

 mosaic bloom, the feathered plumes of the golden-rod, 

 the star-faced blossoms of the field-daisy and the wild 

 aster are requisitioned for their flight by groups of 

 balloonists. The purpose in choosing these elevated 

 spots is plain, for the currents of air are stronger 

 there and the course clearer than close to the surface, 

 thus facilitating flight. A wise volition seems clear 

 in the case of Lycosids, at least, which, being ground 

 spiders, are not found habitually in higher places. 



We return to our place of observation, one of the side- 

 posts of the "bars" that form the gateway between two 

 fields. These are let down to allow fair opportunity to 

 follow the aeronaut, when it shall ascend, without the 

 stress and delay of getting over the fence. With back 

 to the sun and lens in hand you may see the mode of 

 ascension. Several younglings are atop of the post and 

 the upper rail near by. You fix your eye upon one. 

 It leaps upward and is off! No; it is back again, like 

 a boy's return-ball. The buoyancy of the thread exuded 



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