SPIDERS. 61 



and somewhat beneath, are the spinnerets; 

 there are three pairs. The webbing or silk 

 issues from the body through these holes and 

 becomes joined in one thread afterwards. It is 

 often asked, how spiders string their single 

 lines from tree-top to tree-top, across roads or 

 from building to building? Having crawled 

 up to a desirable elevation, they start the 

 thread either by a muscular effort or by stick- 

 ing the end to a limb or board, and then * pay " 

 it out by using the hinder feet to pull it out of 

 the body. The slight wind will do the rest, 

 drifting it upon some holding-ground where it 

 ties itself. Small spiders in great numbers are 

 carried through the air at the end of long web- 

 lines. 



In South America a web is made by a large 

 spider, in which small birds are caught and 

 held fast ; the owner greedily feeds on them. 

 To tell of all their curious and often wonderful 

 nests and traps would be a long story, but an 

 interesting and instructive one. As a rule, 

 spiders trail their webs along, to be ready for 

 any emergency. With a sudden breath you 

 may blow one of them from his position to give 

 him a fall, but it will be found that he is 

 dangling at the end of a thread. On the water 

 they are generally very much at home, and our 



