164 PROTECTIVE RESEMBLANCE 



completely roofed in by these great webs. Spaces of quite 

 thirty feet have been observed spanned by the lines of the 

 nephila mentioned in a former chapter ; and I have noticed 

 that the angles and outer spaces of its great web are frequently 

 filled up by the minute geometric webs of smaller species. 

 These lesser fry appear to be tolerated, if not encouraged, by 

 their giant neighbour, as they probably catch what would be 

 insignificant to her, and very likely clear her web of what she 

 rejects ; and so they all live together in harmony in a small 

 colony. 



Looking about in the undergrowth for wild flowers and fruit, 

 and happening to rub against the stem of one of the bushes, a 

 small rough roundish ball falls off on to the ground ; this ap- 

 pears exactly like a bit of round wrinkled bark, but on watching 

 for a minute or two, it develops four pairs of legs, and runs 

 nimbly away under cover, revealing itself as a spider, with a 

 marvellous protective resemblance to its surroundings. Unless 

 the creature actually moves, it is impossible to detect it, it is 

 so exactly like a knobby bit of the brown bark. 



Protective resemblance in quite a different style appears in 

 a small spider, perfectly white in colour thorax, legs and 

 abdomen which scuttles out of the coralla of certain white 

 flowers when these are examined or shaken. This also, unless 

 it moves, is all but invisible ; and there can be no doubt that 

 it is thus enabled to catch the many small flies which are 

 attracted by the honey and fragrance of the flowers. A larger 

 and green spider, a handsome species, with a long oval abdomen 

 striped with red, probably also a hunter, thanks to its close 

 resemblance to green leaves and the pale reddish veining seen 

 on many leaves, by which it is thus protected from observation 

 until it can pounce upon its prey. This is one species of the 

 many spiders which are caught by some of the solitary wasps, as 

 described in Chapter VII. 



As we notice these curious disguises in spiders, as well as in 

 numbers of other living creatures, we are reminded of the old 

 nursery tales and fables of the gift of invisibility supposed to be 

 conferred by certain plants, or by certain charms or ceremonies. 

 With these spiders, as well as in many other creatures, some 

 lower, and others much higher, than them in organisation, this 

 power of becoming at will unseen, even under the closest 



