A BEAST OF PREY 59 



like edges ; and these curious saw-teeth are useful 

 to the spider both in arranging her webs, in 

 weaving them tight or loose, and in feeling the 

 line of communication, when at rest, for indica- 

 tions of a captured insect. If you remember that 

 the spider has no less than eight legs, each some- 

 what differently provided with special claws and 

 combs, you will understand how formidable a 

 beast she really is to creatures of her own size 

 or smaller. 



But beneath the foot in No. 5 are represented 

 those still more terrible organs, the mouth and 

 poison-fang. The face is shown, end on a full- 

 face portrait ; and the little knobs above are the 

 eight sharp eyes with which the spider looks out 

 for its prey when captured. Below lie the jaws, 

 with their two movable poison-fangs, one of which 

 is open, while the other is folded back into its 

 groove or receptacle like a kitten's claw. This 

 poison-fang is supplied with venom from a gland 

 in the head. When the spider catches an insect 

 and desires to eat him at once (as she generally 

 does if he is not very large) she poisons him out- 

 right, and proceeds to devour him. So she often 

 does with a wasp or other dangerous insect. But 

 if she wishes to preserve him for future use, she 

 quietly envelops him in a network of web, and 

 keeps him in durance vile, as I shall show you 

 later a prisoner awaiting his turn to be killed 

 and eaten. Taking her as a whole, therefore, the 

 mother spider is about as fiercely equipped a beast 

 as creation can produce : a monster armed like the 



