SPIDERS. 73 



Arachne (A rack'ne) was a maiden who lived in 

 Lydia. Her father Idmon was a famous dyer in pur- 

 ple, and she was a skilled weaver. She grew bold 

 enough to challenge Athena to a contest in her art; 

 and for her part produced an exquisite piece of tapes- 

 try. Athena, because she could find no fault in her 

 competitor's work, grew proud and jealous, and tore 

 the cloth in pieces. Whereupon Arachne, over- 

 whelmed with despair, hanged herself. But the god- 

 dess softened a little and loosened the rope, saving the 

 life of Arachne. The rope was then instantly changed 

 into a cobweb, and Arachne was transformed into a 

 spider, the animal which above all others Athena hated. 



This story, or fable, is the method the ancients em- 

 ployed of teaching that man learned the art of weav- 

 ing from the spider, and that the art was invented in 

 Lydia. It is a pleasant way of telling something which 

 is probably quite true. In a great many of the arts 

 men have taken their first lessons from animals. 



PART 2. 



PASSING by the house spider and the cellar spider, 

 whose webs are woven in a great variety of shapes, 

 the garden, or geometric, spider gives the most interest- 

 ing example of spinning and weaving. You may have 

 seen her trudging along the ground, lugging a white 

 silken sack which she is reluctant to part with. Per- 

 haps you were not aware that this bundle contained 

 her eggs. Had you watched closely you might have 

 seen the young, after the eggs were hatched, riding 

 on the back of their mother. 



