The Labyrinth Spider 



cages with subjects that have not been de- 

 moralized by contusions. 



The surface of the crater is not exactly a 

 snare. It is just possible for the casual pedes- 

 trian to catch his legs in the silky carpets; 

 but giddy-pates who come here for a walk 

 must be very rare. What is wanted is a trap 

 capable of securing the game that hops or flies. 

 The Epeira has her treacherous limed net; the 

 Spider of the bushes has her no less treach- 

 erous labyrinth. 



Look above the web. What a forest of 

 ropes ! It might be the rigging of a ship dis- 

 abled by a storm. They run from every twig 

 of the supporting shrubs, they are fastened to 

 the tip of every branch. There are long ropes 

 and short ropes, upright and slanting, straight 

 and bent, taut and slack, all criss-cross and 

 a-tangle, to the height of three feet or so in 

 inextricable disorder. The whole forms a 

 chaos of netting, a labyrinth which none can 

 pass through, unless he be endowed with wings 

 of exceptional power. 



We have here nothing similar to the lime- 

 threads used by the Garden Spiders. The 

 threads are not sticky; they act only by their 

 confused multitude. Would you care to see 



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