The Wonderful Ways of Insects and Spiders [ 281 



claws on a trap line stretched from the hub of the web. When an 

 insect enters the trap, the resulting vibration is carried to the 

 spider, which rushes onto the web and envelops its victim in a 

 band of silk. It bites the insect either before or after wrapping it, 

 but usually does not eat it at once unless it is hungry. 



How the Spider Ingeniously Avoids its Own Trap: A child may 

 wonder, even if he has the opportunity to watch this drama being 

 enacted, why the spider does not become entangled in its own 

 web. He will understand why, if he knows that a web is made of 

 two kinds of silk. One kind is inelastic and does not stick to objects 

 that touch it; the other is very elastic and sticky. 



The spokes of the web, the framework, and the guy-lines that 

 fasten it to surrounding objects, are all of the inelastic silk. How- 

 ever, the continuous spiral lines connecting the spokes are very 

 elastic and adhere to anything that touches them. The spider 

 cleverly runs along the spokes and thereby avoids being tangled 

 in its own web. 



How the Spider Spins an Orb Web: If the spider is unlucky its 

 web may be destroyed many times during a season. At times the 

 little weaver may have to construct one every twenty-four hours. 

 It begins its work on a well-elevated position by spinning a thread 

 of silk which is soon caught in a passing breeze; the free end is 

 carried along until it reaches an object to which it adheres. The 

 spider then draws in the slack, making the line taut. It fastens the 

 second end and walks across it, doubling its strength with another 

 line of silk. 



The spokes are constructed next, extending outward from a 

 central point on this bridge line. Now the spider makes a spiral 

 line a short distance out from the hub of these spokes and attached 

 to each of them, holding them firm. The spider pulls this line 

 tight, then continues weaving spiral lines until it reaches what 

 will be the outer edge of the orb. 



Up to this point all the silk has been smooth, tough, and not 

 sticky. Now elastic, adhesive silk is manufactured as the spider 

 makes a second series of spirals, this time working from the outer 

 edge of the web down to the hub. During this process the spider 



