THE GRASSHOPPER SPIDER. 



TADORO. 







UT in the garden where the west- either side of the house at will. The 



a SOB flooded the nasturtiums spot was well selected, the hoppers in 



ong the garden wall, a large the heat of the day finding the heavy 



Bpw and black-bodied spider shade of the broad nasturtium leaves 



lair. The driving rain of the particularly gratefuL 



::; 5 ; - Our friend the spider had not long 



is web that he had set about to wait for his breakfast* for presto! a 



limself a new one lower down, great, brown-winged hopper flew right 



be had spun and pi iced the into the net. Before he could, with 



: :-.-- : : - j ;.i". : : .: ;. :. ? r ::;::.: ~^? .-.:~ ~ :: -_::... ;,;? 

 mafc-iftg the circles to com- tear the silken gossamer asunder and 

 :;::-.::':.:: :-.-::-.". ::ee z:~?e.: . . -: -: r-:r.::-..c :~: 

 bis tail he exuded a white, was upon him. In the flash of an eye 

 stance, which, when stretched, the grasshopper was actually en- 

 became dry. As he stepped shrouded in a sheet of white film of 



spoke to another he would web, and with the utmost rapidity was 



his web and, stretching the rolled over and over by the spider, 



rods the preceding one, bring which used its long legs with the utmost 



spun web in contact with it dexterity. Wound in his graveyard 



exude upon the jointure an suit of white silk, the grasshopper be- 



Eresh web. which immediately came absolutely helpless. His broad 



the two parts, when the wings and sinewy legs were now use- 



ttled back into place, pulling less. The spider retreated to the 



> web straight and taut, center of the web and watched the 



=ss of house-building contin- throes of his prey. By much effort 



Lerruptedly. every movement the hopper loosed one leg and was 



lider producing some result, bidding fair to kick the net to shreds 



ES steps were taken, and as when the spider made another sally 



progressed the uniformity of and. putting a fresh coating of sticky 



was simply amazing: every web around him. rolled him over once 



cry cross piece, was placed ex- or twice more and left him. 



'. .- : - ~ :-. .1 -. - : : : - if In a few moments, when all was over, 



re. etc. A micrometer seem- the spider attacked his prey and began 



ild not have shown the devia- his breakfast. Before his meal was 



XXDGI of an inch between any well under way. a second hopper flew 



7 - - . - into the parlor of the spider and, leav- 



the web was three-fourths ing his meal, the agile creature soon 



I^sty grasshopper went blun- had hopper number two securely and 

 against one of the yet un- safely ensnared. No experienced foot- 

 pokes of the web and escaped, ball tackle ever downed his opponent 

 y noticed this and visibly in- with any such skill or celerity as the 

 is efforts and sped from spoke spider displayed as he rolled over and 

 trailing his never ending film bundled up into a helpless web covered 

 reb behind him. At last the roll the foolish and careless hopper. 



e quickly covered the point "The spiders touch, how exquisitely 



;-.-- -, fine! 



solid floor with an opening Feels at each thread, and lives along 



wed the tenant to occupy the line." 



