114 FIRST BOOK OF ZOOLOGY. 



places, and while at work, they may be seen to use their 

 hind-feet in apparently drawing out the thread as it were 

 from the spinnerets. It will be observed that the thread 

 issues in a broad band, and, when these spiders are sluggish, 

 their thread may be caught on the end of a pencil by gently 

 rubbing the spinnerets with it, and then by withdrawing the 

 pencil the thread may be reeled off. 



The various kinds of nets are adapted to entrap the 

 spider's food, which consists of flies and other insects. 



Certain kinds of spiders do not build nets, but go in 

 search of their prey by stealthily creeping up and pouncing 

 upon it unawares. 



It is a very interesting sight to watch the little black-and- 

 white spider (so common on the sides of houses) slyly approach 

 a fly which has alighted near it. If the spider is on the side 

 of a window-sill and a fly has alighted near it, the spider 

 instantly turns round, facing the fly, cautiously and very 

 slowly moves backward, till it gets on the upper side of the 

 window-sill and out of sight, when it rapidly approaches, now 

 and then peering over the edge of the sill, to see where the 

 fly is, and, finally getting directly above the fly, it gathers its 

 legs for a jump, securing its thread to the window-sill at the 

 same time, and then with a sudden spring seizes the fly in its 

 jaws. Sometimes the insect is much larger than the spider, 

 and flies away, with the spider tightly clinging to it ; the 

 thread, however, holds fast, though sometimes run out to the 

 length of a foot or more. Soon the poison of the spider takes 

 effect, and the fly gradually weakens, and ceases its strug- 



