250 Nature's Geometricians [FOURTH WEEK 



Confident with the instinct handed down through many 

 generations, the spider trusted implicitly to his colour for 

 safety and never moved, though I placed the lens so close 

 that it threw a life-sized image on the ground-glass. When 

 all was ready, and before I had pressed the bulb, the 

 thought came to me whether this wonderful resemblance 

 should be attributed to the need of escaping from insec- 



SPIDEK ON FLOWER 



tivorous birds, or to the increased facility with which the 

 spider would be able to catch its prey. At the very instant 

 of making the exposure, before I could will the stopping 

 of the movement of my fingers, if I had so wished, my 

 question was answered. A small, iridescent, green bee 

 flew down, like a spark of living light, upon the flower, 

 and, quick as thought, was caught in the jaws of the 

 spider. Six of his eight legs were not brought into use, 

 but held far back out of the way. 



