The Garden Spiders: Building the Web 



into felt with noteworthy diligence. In so 

 doing, she gives the spokes a solid common 

 support, something like the hub of our 

 carriage-wheels. 



The eventual regularity of the work sug- 

 gests that the radii are spun in the same order 

 in which they figure in the web, each follow- 

 ing immediately upon its next neighbour. 

 Matters pass in another manner, which at 

 first looks like disorder, but which is really a 

 judicious contrivance. After setting a few 

 spokes in one direction, the Epeira runs across 

 to the other side to draw some in the opposite 

 direction. These sudden changes of course 

 are highly logical; they show us how pro- 

 ficient the Spider is in the mechanics of rope- 

 construction. Were they to succeed one 

 another regularly, the spokes of one group, 

 having nothing as yet to counteract them, 

 would distort the work by their straining, 

 would even destroy it for lack of a stabler 

 support. Before continuing, it is necessary to 

 lay a converse group which will maintain the 

 whole by its resistance. Any combination of 

 forces acting in one direction must be forth- 

 with neutralized by another in the opposite 

 direction. This is what our statics teach us 

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