LIFE AMONGST THE SPIDERS. 113 



work, then you would find the viscid globules, which stud 

 the whole of that wonderful circle, would stick to the 

 finger. 



When a spider wishes to pass from one side of a 

 locality to another, where there is danger, as, for ex- 

 ample, a country lane or a garden path, it makes a bridge 

 of these threadlets, upon which it may safely trust 

 itself, taking care to pull the cord with its "hand" before 

 trusting itself upon it, to ascertain whether it has adhered 

 to the opposite side ; then, venturing, it takes good care 

 to make another bridge, so that, in the event of one fail- 

 ing, it may beat a retreat back to its home by the other. 



Amongst all the lessons we may learn from this in- 

 habitant of the invisible world partially invisible, that 

 is, in the work it does and the tools it employs, without 

 the aid of the microscope, I know of none greater or 

 more worthy of our imitation than the lesson of economy 

 which it employs. When the net is complete, the radiating 

 lines, which are the rafters of the building, after adherence 

 to some outside object, have their fag-ends hanging from 

 their extremities. Commencing the long spiral line, she 

 walks quietly round the outer path, and, carefully cutting 

 off the loose pieces, swallows them like so many boluses, 

 making fresh material for renewed work. Here is a re- 

 minder of the Divine words, " Gather up the fragments 

 that remain, that nothing be lost." Fragments ! why, 

 all our lives are made up of fragments ! 



" The moments fly, the minutes come ; 

 The minutes fly, an hour is run ; 

 An hour is fled, the day is here, 

 Thus flies a week, a month, a year. 



" A year, alas ! how soon 'tis past 

 Who knows but this may be our last ? 

 A few short years, how soon they're fled, 

 And we are numbered with the dead ! " 



