3IO The Life of the Spider 



Let us eschew violence, which is but seldom 

 successful, and resort to craft. 



We catch sight of the Spider at the entrance 

 to her tube. If practicable, squeeze the bottom 

 of the tuft, containing the neck of the funnel, 

 with both hands. That is enough ; the animal 

 is caught. Feeling its retreat cut off, it readily 

 darts into the paper bag held out to it ; if 

 necessary, it can be stimulated with a bit of 

 straw. In this way, I fill my cages with sub- 

 jects that have not been demoralized by con- 

 tusions. 



The surface of the crater is not exactly a 

 snare. It is just possible for the casual pedes- 

 trian to catch his legs in the silky carpets ; 

 but giddy-pates who come here for a walk must 

 be very rare. What is wanted is a trap capable 

 of securing the game that hops or flies. The 

 Epeira has her treacherous limed net ; the 

 Spider of the bushes has her no less treacherous 

 labyrinth. 



Look above the web. What a forest of ropes ! 

 It might be the rigging of a ship disabled by a 

 storm. They run from every twig of the sup- 

 porting shrubs, they are fastened to the tip of 



