186 



INTRODUCTION TO ZOOLOGY CHAP, xm 



The central dry platform she leaves unaltered, and there 

 is often a fairly wide space between this and the viscid spiral 

 (Plate I.). Sometimes the spiral is incomplete, a sector being 

 left with no threads between the spokes. 



The spider may often be seen resting on the central 

 platform of her web, but more often she leaves it, carrying 

 with her a separate thread which she has fixed at the centre. 

 When she reaches some safe retreat perhaps under some 



leaves close by the web she sits 

 there, with her foot on the signal 

 line which she has carried with her. 

 A strong vibration of this will 

 mean, probably, that some insect 

 has been caught in the snare, and 

 she will then hurry out to investi- 

 gate. 



If the victim caught 



once killed by a bite 

 from the poisonous jaws, and 

 carried off to be eaten at leisure. 

 If, however, it is too big and for- 

 midable to be treated so sum- 

 marily, the spider approaches 

 cautiously, cutting away some of 

 the web if necessary, until the 

 victim is dangling on a thread or 

 two. She will then touch it 

 carefully with one extended leg, 

 and set it spinning round, and 

 as it passes, fix on to its body a 

 broad band of fine silk threads 



emitted by the spools, and wind 

 FIG. 118. A Spider wrapping ., .-, ^., .. . ., 



silk round a dangerous victim li U P m these Untl1 lfc . 1S <l uite 



(After Grant Allen.) helpless, and can be seized with 



impunity (Fig. 118). Sometimes, 



when a dangerous insect, such as a wasp, gets entangled, the 



spider will set it free by biting away the threads all round it. 



The male spider, as has been said, is smaller 



Spider 6 than ^ ne female, and generally lives more in the 



background. Indeed his life is in constant danger 



