, The Question of Property 297 



differ greatly in form and colouring. The 

 first has a plump, olive-shaped belly, richly 

 belted with white, bright-yellow and black ; 

 the second's abdomen is flat, of a silky white and 

 pinked into festoons. Judging only by dress 

 and figure, we should not think of closely 

 connecting the two Spiders. 



But high above shapes tower tendencies, 

 those main characteristics which our methods 

 of classification, so particular about minute 

 details of form, ought to consult more widely 

 than they do. The two dissimilar Spiders 

 have exactly similar ways of living. Both of 

 them prefer to hunt by day and never leave 

 their webs ; both sign their work with a zigzag 

 flourish. Their nets are almost identical, so 

 much so that the Banded Epeira uses the 

 Silky Epeira's web after eating its owner. The 

 Silky Epeira, on her side, when she is the 

 stronger, dispossesses her belted cousin and 

 devours her. Each is at home on the other's 

 web, when the argument of might triumphant 

 has ended the discussion. 



Let us next take the case of the Cross Spider, 

 a hairy beast of varying shades of reddish- 



