278 The Life of the Spider 



Be it feeble or strong, the game is now neatly 

 trussed, by one of the two methods. The next 

 move never varies. The bound insect is bitten, 

 without persistency and without any wound 

 that shows. The Spider next retires and 

 allows the bite to act, which it soon does. She 

 then returns. 



If the victim be small, a Clothes-moth, for 

 instance, it is consumed on the spot, at the 

 place where it was captured. But, for a prize 

 of some importance, on which she hopes to 

 feast for many an hour, sometimes for many a 

 day, the Spider needs a sequestered dining- 

 room, where there is naught to fear from the 

 stickiness of the network. Before going to 

 it, she first makes her prey turn in the converse 

 direction to that of the original rotation. Her 

 object is to free the nearest spokes, which 

 supplied pivots for the machinery. They are 

 essential factors which it behoves her to keep 

 intact, if need be by sacrificing a few cross-bars. 



It is done ; the twisted ends are put back 

 into position. The well- trussed game is at 

 last removed from the web and fastened on 

 behind with a thread. The Spider then 



