140 THE MEANING OF EVOLUTION 



becomes an effective cocoon, spherical in shape, with a 

 little opening at the top like the neck of a small bottle. 

 The egg cocoon is woven in a mass of tangled silk 

 between the branches of some tough weed which will 

 be sure to outlast the winter. Into the egg cocoon the 

 spider may place one thousand or more eggs. Having 

 thus provided her children with a snug winter home, 

 the spider dies. When spring comes with the warm 

 rays of the sun, the eggs hatch and the cocoon be- 

 comes a creeping mass of minute spiders. At the 

 time these spiders appear there is nothing for them 

 to eat. The obvious way out of this difficulty is taken. 

 At once there begins a progressive party. Spider 

 fights with spider, and the prize in each conflict is the 

 body of the victim, which is promptly eaten. The 

 winners in the first round pair off again, and a little 

 later, as hunger drives them, another set of combats 

 comes on, resulting in another halving of the number 

 of spiders in the cocoon. This process continues un- 

 til not more than one-tenth of the original number of 

 spiders remains. By this time they have gained suffi- 

 cient strength of leg and jaw, and sufficient dexterity 

 in the use of both, to make it safe for them to ven- 

 ture out and try their fortunes among the accidents 

 of a strenuous world. There can be little doubt after 

 this long process has worked its final results which 

 tenth remains. Chance plays but small part in this 



