Tlie Spider and the Fly. 281 



spring ) the fieldfares and redwings were passing 

 over swiftly in small parties — or, rather, iu a long 

 flock scattered hy the march — towards the North 

 Sea and their summer home in Norwa}'. The winter 

 birds, and the distinctly spring and summer bii-ds, 

 as it were, crossed each other and were visible to- 

 gether, their times of arrival and departure over- 

 lapping. 



As the sap rises in plants and trees, so a new life 

 seems to flow through the veins of bird and animal. 

 The flood-tide of life rises to its height, and after re- 

 maining there some time, gradually ebbs. Early in 

 August the leaves of the limes begin to fade, and a 

 few shortl}' afterwards fall : the silver birch had spots 

 of a pale lemon among its foliage this j'ear on August 

 13. The brake fern, soon after it has attained its 

 full growth, begins to turn yellow in places. There 

 is a silence in the hedges and copses, and an appar- 

 ent absence of birds. But about Michaelmas ( be- 

 tween the new and old style ) there is a marked 

 change. It is not that an}- thing particular happens 

 upon any precise day, but it is a date around which, 

 just before and after, events seem to group them- 

 selves. 



Towards the latter part of September the geo- 

 metrical spiders become conspicuous, spinning their 

 webs on every bush. Some of these attain an enor- 

 mous size, and, being so large, it is easier to watch 

 their mode of procedure. When a fly becomes en- 

 tangled, the spider seizes it by the poll, at the back 

 of the head, and holds it for a short time till it dies. 

 Then he rapidly puts a small quantity of web round 

 it, and next carries it to the centre of the web. 



