1 EVE NATURAL HISTORY. 



Bigamy, as puuiahod by the Eiigliah law, in the crime of 

 o wires at the same time. 



ExKBCisss IN COMPOSITION. 



Word* ii'it/i l/wir Prporition to It formtd into fcvttncet. 

 Allude to, F. K. lud, play. 



To improve yourself in simple composition, make a report of 

 tho following anecdote : 



INTELLIGENCE OP AN APE. 



"A friend of mine," says Dr. Bailly, "a man of understanding 

 end veracity, related to me these two facts, of which he was on eye- 

 witness. He had an intelligent ape, with which he amused himself 

 by giving it walnuts, of which the animal was extremely fond. One 

 day he placed them at such a distance from the ape that the animal, 

 restrained by his chain, could not reach them. After many useless 

 efforts to indulge himself in his favourite delicacy, the ape happened 

 to see a servant pass by with a napkin under his arm ; he imme- 

 diately seized hold of it, whisked it out beyond his arm to bring the 

 nuts within his reach, and so he obtained possession of them. His 

 mode of breaking the walnut was a fresh proof of the animal's in- 

 ventive powers ; he placed the walnut upon the ground, let a great 

 stone fall upon it, and so got at its contents. One day the ground 

 on which he had placed the walnut was so much softer than usual, 

 that, instead of breaking the walnut, the ape only drove it into the 

 earth. What does the animal do ? He takes up a tile, places the 

 walnut upon it, and then lets the stone fall while the walnut is i 

 this position." Sydney Smith. 



RECREATIVE NATURAL HISTORY. 



THE SPIDEB. PART I. 



As there are about 1,200 species of known spiders one genus 

 (Epcira) containing above sixty a large volume would be 

 required even to describe the more remarkable families. We 

 can, therefore, only mention in this and a future paper some of 

 the most important facts connected with the structure, works, 

 and habits of spiders. 



These animals are no longer classed with insects, from which 

 they differ in four particulars, having simple eyes instead of 

 'compound, eight legs in place of six, no antenna;, and not under- 

 going the interesting metamorphoses so characteristic of insect 

 life. All the families of spiders and scorpions are grouped 

 together under the term Arachnida, derived from the Greek 

 name for a spider, apaxmj (a-rak'-ne). The word Araii' 

 eludes under it the true spiders only, and is from aro 

 Latin designation of the animal. Our common English name is 

 derived from the old word spinder, a spinner. A more ancient 

 descriptive term was attercop, signifying poison-head. 



We may note, in passing, that all spiders are distributed into 

 two great sections PuJmonaria, or those which breathe by pul- 

 monary cavitios; and Tracliearia, or those which breathe by 

 tracheao, like ius.jots. They are also sometimes classed accord- 

 ing to their habits, as Hunters, Wanderers, Sedcntaries, and 



Divan. The more usual arrangement now u according to tho 

 number of eyes, one genoi having bat two, other* MX, and tba 

 greater number eight. 



Where do spiders live ? Some in little cell*, formed of the 

 most delicate tissues; some in hole* in tba earth, or in wall 

 crevices ; many in our wine-oellan ; a few in oar librarian; boat* 

 high in the air, or in tubes suspended from leaves ; and not a 

 mall number in the water. The webs of tba geometrical spider 

 may be studied in almost every garden. Look at iU work. See 

 how beautifully the main threads radiate from the centra, and with 

 what peculiar art the circular linos are secured to tba radiating 

 tissue. The repairs of this net demand incessant attention. 

 Once a day the whole is examined, and the torn or loosened 

 threads adjusted. Look closely at a not of tba diadem 

 (Epcira, diadema) garden spider. Ton will recognise the crea- 

 ture by the gem-like whitish markings on the body, and tba 

 dark bauds and spines on the legs. Those threads which form 

 the spirals are more glutinous than the finn but stronger 

 lines radiating from tho centre, where the diadem takes his 

 sentinel-post. Take a aiagnifying-glass, and a multitude of 

 fine globules may be traced along the spiral threads. Tbese 

 constitute a series of fastenings by which the circular lines are 

 gummed firmly to the radiating threads. The number of thona 

 globules, or web-ties, is surprising, a single net of the "diadem" 

 spider having been found to contain above 87,000. Tho net of 

 the Epeira. apodisa, a species allied to the garden diadem 

 spider, usually consists of twenty-six radiating lines, and 

 twenty-four rows of spirals. A large web of this kind has 

 been calculated to contain 120,000 viscid globules. Berides the 

 radiating and spiral threads, the observer will not fail to notice 

 tho main lines which extend beyond the geometrical work, 

 and support the whole. These main threads are fastened at 

 each end to leaves or twigs, and the radiating lines are then 

 firmly secured to these supports. If one of these important 

 lines bo suddenly broken, the beautiful geometrical structure 

 will collapse and become a ruin. 



The whole of such a net, with all its elaborate tracery of 

 radiating and parallel lines, with its thousands upon thousands 

 of points, is sometimes produced in about forty minutes. A 

 web over a cannon's mouth, or across the opening in the poor- 

 box, is therefore no proof that either has been long disused. 

 The cannon may have been discharged yesterday, and yet a 

 perfect web be over its mouth this morning. The reader will 

 not forgot that in this short time tho spider not only arranges 

 tho fine geometrical lines, but also spins the whole from its own 

 body. Let the reader examine carefully one of the fine threads, 

 and then estimate its diameter. Does it not seem almost 

 impossible to express in the fraction of an inch the thickness 

 of that filmy tissue ? But the fine line is not a single one, 

 being composed of no less than 4,000 threads. Some of these 

 wonderfully complex lines are themselves so fine that 4,000,000 

 twisted together would not exceed the thickness of an ordinary 

 hair from tho human head. Yet each one of these 4,000,000 

 tissues is itself composed of 4,000 single threads. Tho dia- 

 meter, therefore, of one simple thread is but one sixteen 

 thousand-millionth (lanaxiiiooo) part f th thickness of a human 

 hair. If such a statement seems almost incredible, it is but ona 

 of the many mysteries abounding in tho lower forms of life. 



The spinning machine is a wonder in itself. Under the 

 hinder part of the spider's body a small depression may be 

 seen. Look closer, and, rising from this hollow, there will be 

 noted six small, tube-shaped bodies. Now use a microscope, 

 and tho observer may detect a great number of exceedingly 

 fine openings on four of the tube-like bodies, about 1,000 on 

 each. Through each of these 4,000 apertures tho spider draws 

 a fine thread, and all the 4,000 tissues, being hardened by the 

 atmosphere, and twisted together, form one of the threads in 

 tho web. These four tubo-liko bodies are called tpinnercU, the 

 npper pair differing much from the lower in structure. Two 

 kinds of threads are produced by this machine, at least in the 

 case of the geometrical spider. Tho spirals of the vrcb possess 

 a gluey quality wanting in the radiating lines. But whence 

 does the spider procure the delicate fluid which it draws through 

 tho pores of tho spinnerets P From six or eight reservoirs 

 behind, in which a glassy substance is formed and stored np 

 till required. A peculiar comb-like apparatus on one or more 

 of the feet is used for twisting, carding, and adjusting the fine 

 tissues as they issue from tho pores of the spinnerets. This 



