A Bkast of Prey 



53 



and fastened each new line taut to one of the 

 outer scaffoldings. So at last she had formed a 

 regular set of rays like the spokes of a wheel, but as 

 yet without any spiral connecting threads or mesh- 

 like crt)ss - pieces. 

 The rays of this 

 first framework were 

 stoutand thick, com- 

 posed of several dis- 

 tinct strands, but 

 very little viscid ; 

 they were built up of 

 many threads each, 

 in a manner to be 

 hereafter described ; 

 and they hardened 

 quickly on expos- 

 ure to the air, for 

 they were intended 

 mainly to serve as 

 beams, not as nets 

 or insect-catchers. 



Her ground-plan 

 beinj^ thus complete, 

 Rosalind next pro- 

 ceeded with ^reat 

 deliberation to add 

 the meshes of the 



web (which are the practical insect-catchers) by 

 connectinj^ the rays with the spiral network. In 

 doin^ this, she t\)ll()wed a regular method. He- 

 j^inninj^ at the centre, she fastened a thinner cord 



NO. 3. 



A HAHY srn)i;R in its 



I IKS I SNAKK. 



