GRASSHOPPER AND SPIDER 47 



Walking on this heath I saw a common green grass- 

 hopper, disturbed at my step, leap away, and by chance 

 land in a geometric web in a small furze bush. Caught 

 in the web, it began kicking with its long hind legs, 

 and would in three seconds have made its escape. But 

 mark what happened. Directly over the web, and 

 above the kicking grasshopper, there was a small, web- 

 made, thimble-shaped shelter, mouth down, fastened 

 to a spray, and the spider was sitting in it. And 

 looking down it must have seen and known that the 

 grasshopper was far too big and strong to be held in 

 that frailest snare, that it would be gone in a moment 

 and the net torn to pieces. It also must have seen 

 and known that it was no wasp nor dangerous insect 

 of any kind; and so, instantly, straight and swift as 

 a leaden plummet, it dropped out of the silvery 

 bell it lived in on to the grasshopper and attacked 

 it at the head. The falces were probably thrust 

 into the body between the head and prothorax, 

 for almost instantly the struggle ceased, and in 

 less than three seconds the victim appeared perfectly 

 dead. 



What interested me in this sight was the spider, 

 an Epeira of a species I had never closely looked at 

 before, a little less in size than our famous Epeira 

 diadema our common garden spider, with the pretty 

 white diadem on its velvety, brown abdomen. This 

 heath spider was creamy-white in colour, the white 

 deepening to warm buff all round at the sides, and 



