164 c 't i ..: / 



NATURE STUDY 



direction is given later in these notes for the identification (mostly 

 by habits) of some of these kinds. Collecting spiders is not diffi- 

 cult nor does it carry the collector far afield. The collector 

 should provide himself with a number of empty pill boxes, cap 

 boxes, or other similarly small, paper, wooden or tin boxes with 

 well fitting cover. Each of these boxes will serve as collecting 

 tool for one spider, and as cage to keep it in until the schoolroom 

 is reached again. Search for spiders in or near their webs, in 

 the corollas of flowers, on the bark of trees, under stones and 

 sticks on the ground, and (for tarantulas and other spiders with 

 tubular nests in the ground), in their nests in the ground. Spiders 



living off the ground, 

 i. e. on webs, flowers, 

 trees, etc., are very 

 prone to diop quickly 

 to the ground when 

 disturbed. Take ad- 

 vantage of this and be 

 ready to catch the fall- 

 ing spider in a pill 

 box, quickly clapping 

 the lid on. Use the 

 pill box and lid as 

 catching equipment. 

 You will soon get ex- 

 pert in the work. 

 Small spiders, espe- 

 cially those in webs 

 or flower cups can be 

 caught with perfect 

 impunity inthe 

 hands. But there is always danger of crushing the soft body of 

 the creature, or pulling off a leg or two in handling. Trust 



Fig. 61. Catching a spider. 



