SPIDERS. 125 



different form to that first intended, and formed 

 a striking illustration of the economy of space. 



Small spiders one gets accustomed to, and 

 they are useful in catching flies and mosquitoes. 

 I also allow some few webs of an immense spider 

 to remain in the verandah for the same pur- 

 pose. These are a very handsome species, body 

 and legs being variously and brilliantly coloured 

 with scarlet, black, blue, yellow, and grey. 

 Their webs are exceedingly sticky, and are a 

 bright gold colour, looking lovely in the sun. 

 The foundation lines are so strong that I have 

 frequently had my progress arrested by them 

 and they did not break. In the woods I have 

 seen them stretched across a space of about 

 thirty feet, attached to the tallest trees. 



Some of the spiders here have hard shell-like 

 pointed abdomens, scarlet and yellow. One I 

 lately sketched had a shell with alternate bars 

 of cool grey and light chrome yellow, with one 

 or two points of black to give effect. The legs 

 had alternate rings of black and grey. I am 

 obliged to admire their beauties and industry, 



