256 The Life of the Spider 



retires and does not come back, unless it be 

 long afterwards, when she flings the lumbersome 

 object out of the web. 



There are also clever ones. Like the others, 

 these hasten to the red-woollen lure, which my 

 straw insidiously keeps moving ; they come from 

 their tent among the leaves as readily as from 

 the centre of the web ; they explore it with 

 their palpi and their legs ; but, soon perceiving 

 that the thing is valueless, they are careful not 

 to spend their silk on useless bonds. My 

 quivering bait does not deceive them. It is 

 flung out after a brief inspection. 



Still, the clever ones, like the silly ones, run 

 even from a distance, from their leafy ambush. 

 How do they know ? Certainly not by sight. 

 Before recognizing their mistake, they have to 

 hold the object between their legs and even to 

 nibble at it a little. They are extremely short- 

 sighted. At a hand's-breadth's distance, the 

 lifeless prey, unable to shake the web, remains 

 unperceived. Besides, in many cases, the 

 hunting takes place in the dense darkness of 

 the night, when sight, even if it were good, 

 would not avail. 



