296 The Life of the Spider 



property. It needs extraordinary circum- 

 stances to rouse her to these villainies. I take 

 her from her web and place her on another's. 

 From that moment, she knows no distinction 

 between meum and tuum: the thing which 

 the leg touches at once becomes real estate. 

 And the intruder, if she be the stronger, ends 

 by eating the occupier, a radical means of 

 cutting short disputes. 



Apart from disturbances similar to those 

 provoked by myself, disturbances that are 

 possible in the everlasting conflict of events, 

 the Spider, jealous of her own web, seems to 

 respect the webs of others. She never in- 

 dulges in brigandage against her fellows except 

 when dispossessed of her net, especially in the 

 daytime, for weaving is never done by day : 

 this work is reserved for the night. When, 

 however, she is deprived of her livelihood and 

 feels herself the stronger, then she attacks her 

 neighbour, rips her open, feeds on her and takes 

 possession of her goods. Let us make allow- 

 ances and proceed. 



We will now examine Spiders of more alien 

 habits. The Banded and the Silky Epeira 



