THE SPIDER'S WEB 117 



"For this purpose, from one of the ends of the 

 cable already constructed the epeira lets itself fall 

 perpendicularly, hanging by the thread that escapes 

 from its spinnerets. It reaches a lower branch, 

 fastens the thread firmly to it, and ascends to the 

 communicating bridge by the vertical thread it used 

 for descending. The spider then reaches the other 

 bank, still spinning, but without gluing this new 

 strand of silk to the cable. Arrived at the other 

 side, it lets itself slide on to a branch conveniently 

 placed, and there fastens the end of the thread that 

 it has spun on its way from one bank to the other. 

 This second chief piece of the framework becomes 

 a cable by the addition of new threads. Finally 

 the two parallel cables are made firm at each end 

 1>\ divers threads starting from it in every direction 

 and attaching themselves to the branches. Other 

 threads go out from this point and that, from one 

 cable to the other, leaving between them, in the 

 middle of the construction, a large open space, al- 

 most circular, destined for the net. 



"Thus far the epeira has only constructed the 

 framework of its building, a rough but solid frame- 

 work; now begins the work of fine precision. The 

 net must be spun. Across the open circular space 

 that the divers threads of the framework leave be- 

 tween them, a first thread is stretched. The epeira 

 stations itself ridit in the ini<Mle of this thread, 

 central point >| the web to be constructed. From 

 thi- center minn'nm> thn-ads must start at equal 

 distances from one another and be fastened io the 

 circumference by the other end. They are called 



