128 A NATURALIST IN HIMALAYA 



the nature or perfection of its fabric, or is it but a 

 slave to an instinctive guide ? Can it see anything 

 of the final beauty, or is it ignorant of all its work ? 

 Experiment will show. If I alter a snare so as 

 to place difficulties before the spider, can the spider 

 appreciate what has occurred and, by some simple 

 device, remedy the defect? I find a web partially 

 constructed which the spider is busy bringing to a 

 state of completion. The temporary spiral has been 

 laid down and seven turns of the viscid spiral. The 

 completion of the latter is the earnest duty of the 

 spider. It is moving from spoke to spoke, using the 

 outer turn of the temporary spiral as a bridge by 

 which to cross over. With a sharp pair of scissors I 

 gently divide the bridge between two of the spokes. 

 The spider circles on. It comes round again and 

 meets the broken bridge. It shows some hesitation but 

 does not interrupt its work ; it continues inward till 

 it meets the second turn of the temporary spiral and 

 there crosses over. I have destroyed the spider's 

 bridge. It has to pursue a longer journey at each 

 circuit. It is obvious by its hesitation that it feels 

 something to be at fault. The remedy is clear ; 

 another filament should be run across and a new 

 bridge formed. It is the simple work of a moment, 

 but the spider will not do it. It prefers to continue 

 its longer round and cross by the inner bridge. I 

 now divide the second turn of the temporary spiral 

 in the same segment. The spider again takes no 

 notice, but crosses over by the third turn. I divide 

 the third turn and the spider crosses by the fourth. 

 I divide the fourth turn and the spider has now to 

 continue to the very centre of the snare before it can 



