The Garden Spiders: The Lime-Snare 



the centre. There is here, covering a space 

 which, in the larger webs, is about equal to 

 the palm of one's hand, a fabric formed of 

 spokes and of the commencement of the 

 auxiliary spiral, a neutral fabric in which 

 the exploring straw finds no adhesiveness 

 anywhere. 



Here, on this central resting-floor, and here 

 only, the Epeira takes her stand, waiting whole 

 days for the arrival of the game. However 

 close, however prolonged her contact with 

 this portion of the web, she runs no risk of 

 sticking to it, because the gummy coating is 

 lacking, as is the twisted and tubular structure, 

 throughout the length of the spokes and 

 throughout the extent of the auxiliary spiral. 

 These pieces, together with the rest of the 

 framework, are made of plain, straight, solid 

 thread. 



But, when a victim is caught, sometimes 

 right at the edge of the web, the Spider has to 

 rush up quickly, to bind it and overcome its 

 attempts to free itself. She is walking then 

 upon her network ; and I do not find that she 

 suffers the least inconvenience. The lime- 

 threads are not even lifted by the movements 

 of her legs. 



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