SPIDERS. 455 



SPIDERS. 



Bakewell, in his valuable work on Spiders, has taught us how 

 numerous are the British spiders. 



" The spider spreads her webs, whether she be 

 In poet's tower, cellar, or barn, or tree." SHELLEY. 



The common Garden Spider (Epeira diadema, fig. 1013) delights us 

 with the perfect geometric web which it constructs. 

 It does a limited amount of good by destroying 

 flies, but not to such an extent as to be really im- 

 portant. In our glass-houses we have a consider- 

 able number of the Angelina labyrintJieca, which 



1 i r i_ ic. \ FIG. 1013. Garden Spider. 



constructs a large sheet of web (fig. 1014), at one enlarged. 



corner of which it makes a circular den ; into this it retires and 

 watches for its victim, upon which it pounces, carrying it to the den 

 to be devoured. It looks altogether a most infernal apparatus. 



A* 







FIG. 1014. Web of Angelina labyrintheca. 



In the spring we often see the Red Spider, which attracts our 

 attention from the brightness of its colours ; and also Hunting Spiders, 

 which are remarkable for their extreme activity. 



We sometimes see the Gossamer at Wallington, but not to be 

 compared with the quantity which may be observed on the Continent 



in the autumn. 



" Slow through the air 



Gossamer floats, or stretch'd from blade to blade 

 The wavy network whitens all the field." GILBERT WHITE. - 



All spiders are useful to the gardener, but certainly could not of 

 themselves entirely protect the garden from the ravages of insects. 



