156 NATURE IN A CITY YARD 



size, or as an ant will carry one larger than 

 himself. The spider retired into a crevice 

 behind the sash to finish his meal at leisure. 

 Other spiders, large, healthy, lithe, black, 

 marked with bright yellow on the back, have 

 nested in the iris. Another, a brown fel- 

 low, has made a bag of his web, running it 

 around several leaves with its surface par- 

 allel to the ground ; but the black ones 

 spin theirs vertically between pairs of leaves, 

 with extra-strong webbing in the center, 

 where they stand much of the time. On 

 an alarm these cobs will vanish; but if any- 

 thing drops into their web they pounce on 

 it like cats. I put some small caterpillars 

 into one web. Instantly the spider was 

 upon them. He would put his feet on the 

 fuzzy body of the animal, as if hesitating 

 whether to kick him out or eat him, but 

 really I suppose he was preparing to spin ; 

 then, with remarkable facility, he would roll 

 him around and around, so that in a few 

 seconds the caterpillar was incased in a 

 shroud of web, and the spider resumed his 

 patient watch for flies. Evidently this kind 

 of meat was rank for his taste. 



