SPIDERS. 



" THE spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in king'i palaces. 

 PROVERBS xxx, 28. 



OF all the little folks about us but few are 

 more common than spiders ; none are 

 better worth study, and yet they are neither 

 liked nor admired, and but few give them care- 

 ful attention. They are not properly insects 

 but more nearly related to scorpions and crabs. 

 It is a very large group, embracing many genera 

 and species. With rare exceptions, and they 

 do not exist with us, spiders are entirely harm- 

 less. They are not inclined to bite ; occasion- 

 ally they do, but I have never heard of such a 

 wound causing mucli pain but in one instance. 

 These animals are not only harmless but they 

 are very good friends of mankind. They live 

 altogether on insects except when the females 

 turn cannibals and devour their feebler mates. 

 Unless one carefully took into consideration the 

 great numbers of our spiders, he would scarcely 

 do justice to their good services in our behalf. 



