When Spiders go Sailing 



IN autumn and winter, on clear calm days, we may 

 chance to see the gossamer-spiders setting sail on their 

 gossamer-threads ; and we may see these little silken 

 threads floating in the air, and falling in showers, to be 

 caught up on the hedgerows, and to cover the stubble- 

 fields as with nets silken nets which catch and hold 

 the dew, so that when the sun shines on them the 

 dew-drops glitter like diamonds. 



How do we account for this riddle of gossamer ? 



For some reason young and very small spiders feel 

 in late summer a spirit of restlessness, and a longing 

 to migrate, and by emitting the silken threads as 

 sails they are able to voyage away through the air to 

 fresh hunting-grounds. The flight of the young spiders 

 may be due to the need of a general dispersal of the 

 families, if there is to be food for all. Food is plentiful 

 when the young spiders first begin learning to hunt 

 for themselves ; as winter draws near the instinct to 

 migrate takes hold of the spiders, as of the birds. 



On a bright, still autumn day tens of thousands of 

 tiny spiders, congregated in one place, set off on a 

 journey to unknown destinations. They begin by 

 climbing, and may be seen on every hand mounting 

 points of vantage whence they can set sail climbing 

 up tall stalks of grasses and weeds, gate-posts, and 

 stones. Arrived at the top, each little spider rears 



H 193 



