WATER HOUSES 83 



water ? She appears to be very busy indeed 

 down amongst the water weeds. She moves 

 quickly backwards and forwards, and here 

 and there she fastens a strong fine thread to 

 the weeds. Then in the centre of this founda- 

 tion she begins to spin a fine silky web. 



The Spider is not wearing a snare to catch 

 the water insects. No, she is making a nice 

 little house in which she may dwell beneath 

 the water. To be sure, she is very fond of 

 insects for dinner, but she does not want them 

 to come blundering into her web and spoiling 

 her house. 



At first the web does not appear very 

 shapely it looks only like a little shadowy 

 bundle in the water. But as soon as she has 

 finished her weaving the Spider ascends to 

 the surface, and, climbing up a rope she has 

 thoughtfully fastened to a floating weed, she 

 puts the end of her hairy body above the 

 water, and with a quick little flick she catches 

 a bubble of air ; then down she dives again, 

 holding the bubble between her hind legs, and 

 pops it into her house. 



Ever so many times the Spider journeys to 

 the top of the water, and each time she returns 

 with another bubble for her house. At last 



