The Spiders' Exodus I'jg 



casting of the skin. The conical bag falls far 

 short of the balloon in size ; those packed 

 within would sprain their legs in extracting 

 them from their sheaths. The family, there- 

 fore, emerges in a body and settles on a sprig 

 hard by. 



This is a temporary camping-ground, where, 

 spinning in unison, the youngsters soon weave 

 an open-work tent, the abode of a week, or 

 thereabouts. The moult is effected in this 

 lounge of intersecting threads. The sloughed 

 skins form a heap at the bottom of the 

 dwelling ; on the trapezes above, the flay- 

 lings take exercise and gain strength and 

 vigour. Finally, when maturity is attained, 

 they set out, now these, now those, little by little 

 and always cautiously. There are no audacious 

 flights on the thready air-ship ; the journey is 

 accomplished by modest stages. 



Hanging to her thread, the Spider lets herself 

 drop straight down, to a depth of nine or ten 

 inches. A breath of air sets her swinging like 

 a pendulum, sometimes drives her against a 

 neighbouring branch. This is a step towards 

 vhe dispersal. At the point reached, there is 



