GEOMETRICAL SPIDERS 87 



hub. The snare in its present state resembles a 

 wheel. It has a centre, radiating spokes and a rim 

 formed of its foundation-lines. The spokes need some 

 strengthening at the point where they leave the 

 centre ; the wheel requires a hub. This the spider 

 proceeds to make. It winds five turns of a slender 

 filament around and close to the central point attach- 

 ing the filament to every spoke. A hub is thus added 

 to the wheel ; the spokes are bound together at their 

 inner ends and the third stage is complete. 



The fourth step in the work is the formation of 

 a temporary spiral. This adds a further strength to 

 the snare, holding the radii still more firmly in place. 

 The spider takes four turns round the hub, stepping 

 from radius to radius and attaching the filament every 

 time it passes a spoke. A spiral of four turns, like the 

 hair-spring of a watch, is thus wound about the centre. 

 All the turns are parallel, all accurately placed. The 

 work is perfect and precise. This is the fourth stage 

 in the architecture, the construction of the temporary 

 spiral. 



The spider now reaches the fifth and most important 

 step in its work, the formation of the viscid spiral. It 

 proceeds to the outer margin of its snare close to 

 where a radius joins a foundation-line. It now 

 commences to wind another and much longer spiral 

 round and round the snare, commencing at the 

 circumference, working towards the centre and attach- 

 ing the spiral at every spoke. To pass from radius to 

 radius it uses the temporary spiral as a bridge. Now 

 this viscid spiral is the vital element in the snare. 

 It is continuous in closely parallel lines from the 

 circumference to the very centre, It is covered with 



