My Neighbour 233 



night. She hunted with her riven net, for what 

 it was worth ; for I found the web next morning 

 in the same condition wherein I had left it on 

 the night before. There had been no mending 

 of any kind. 



The two threads stretched across the breach 

 even must not be taken for an attempt at repair- 

 ing. Finding no foothold for her legs on one 

 side, the Spider went to look into the state of 

 things and, in so doing, crossed the rent. In 

 going and returning, she left a thread, as is the 

 custom with all the Epeirae when walking. It 

 was not a deliberate mending, but the mere 

 result of an uneasy change of place. 



Perhaps the subject of my experiment thought 

 it unnecessary to go to fresh trouble and expense, 

 for the web can serve quite well as it is, after my 

 scissor-cut : the two halves together represent 

 the original snaring-surface. All that the Spider, 

 seated in a central position, need do is to find 

 the requisite support for her spread legs. The 

 two threads stretched from side to side of the 

 cleft supply her with this, or nearly. My 

 mischief did not go far enough. Let us devise 

 something better. 



