54 The Life of a Spider 



her working, which enables me to sum up the 

 progress of the operations. 



My subjects are busy in their bell-shaped 

 cages, at about the middle of August. A 

 scaffolding is first run up, at the top of the 

 dome ; it consists of a few stretched threads. 

 The wire trellis represents the twigs and the 

 blades of grass which the Spider, if at liberty, 

 would have used as suspension-points. The 

 loom works on this shaky support. The Epeira 

 does not see what she is doing ; she turns her 

 back on her task. The machinery is so well put 

 together that the whole thing goes automatically. 



The tip of the abdomen sways, a little to the 

 right, a little to the left, rises and falls, while 

 the Spider moves slowly round and round. The 

 thread paid out is single. The hind-legs draw 

 it out and place it in position on that which is 

 already done. Thus is formed a satin receptacle 

 the rim of which is gradually raised until it 

 becomes a bag about a centimetre deep.^ The 

 texture is of the daintiest. Guy-ropes bind it 

 to the nearest threads and keep it stretched, 

 especially at the mouth. 



* '39 inch. — Translator'' s Note. 



