AN OCTOBER DIARY. 849 



me, but did not stir a hair's-breadth, although flj after 

 fly, of the score I had brought, were escaping from the 

 web. I sat down as near the place as practicable, de- 

 termined to see when the spider would condescend to 

 step out or back into the recesses of her quarters. Per- 

 haps I sat five minutes — it seemed an hour — but noth- 

 ing like voluntary movement on the spider's part oc- 

 curred. Finally, just as I was- about to change my 

 position, to get a closer view, I felt a slight stinging 

 sensation on the end of my nose, and waving my hand 

 involuntarily before my face, I found myself cabled, in 

 a flimsy way, to the fence and the branches of the tree 

 nearest me. A spider, nesting in the tree, had selected 

 my hat as the support of some new webbing, and had 

 fastened a hundred cables to it, selecting my nose as 

 an additional support. Regretting I had so rudely dis- 

 turbed the plans of the new - comer, I rose to go ; but 

 not before I had solved the mystery of the motionless 

 spider before me. Placing my forefinger upon it, to 

 my disgust I found that I had been staring at the mere 

 ghost of my friend. Something had attacked her, and 

 sucked out all her juices ; not a trace of moisture re- 

 mained ; she was hollow as a " locust-shell." 



If the spider that had utilized my hat and nose, in 

 spreading additional webs, had done this murder, did it 

 also set my defunct friend in this life-like position, as 

 a trick on me? There was every appearance of this; 

 but not until after many similar results will I admit 

 even any degree of probability in the matter. 



There is, without doubt, no class of animals that offer 

 a more fruitful field for study than do spiders. Their 



