238 The Life of the Spider 



hole, two fingers wide. The hole remains 

 yawning all day long ; but next morning it is 

 invariably closed. An extremely thin gauze 

 covers the breach, the dark appearance of which 

 contrasts with the dense whiteness of the 

 surrounding fabric. The gauze is so delicate 

 that, to make sure of its presence, I use a straw 

 rather than my eyes. The movement of the 

 web, when this part is touched, proves the pre- 

 sence of an obstacle. 



Here, the matter would appear obvious. 

 The House Spider has mended her work during 

 the night ; she has put a patch in the torn stuff, 

 a talent unknown to the Garden Spiders. It 

 would be greatly to her credit, if a more attentive 

 study did not lead to another conclusion. 



The web of the House Spider is, as we were 

 saying, a platform for watching and exploring ; 

 it is also a sheet into which the insects caught 

 in the overhead rigging fall. This surface, a 

 domain subject to unhmited shocks, is never 

 strong enough, especially as it is exposed to the 

 additional burden of little bits of plaster 

 loosened from the wall. The owner is constantly 

 working at it ; she adds a new layer nightly. 



