NOTES AND 
THE photograph on this page is of a some- 
what unusual catch, or rather 
take. The young codling here 
shown was caught in this 
position in the nets, and Mr. Thiele, who 
happened to be present, secured the photo- 
graph reproduced here. 
RC’ bs 
Mr. J. C. NoswortnHy, of Bristol, has sent us 
the following for publication. 
Caught 
in the act. 
Be uneiicr woth: He writes — : 
“Some years ago while 
passing under a dry railway arch in Devon- 
shire, my attention was attracted by the 
strange appearance and unusual movements 
of a large moth. On looking more closely 
I saw that it was attached to the side wall 
by a silken thread three or four feet long, 
which allowed it to flutter to and fro in 
segments of a circle. Presently, on coming 
close to the wall it settled for an instant, 
and then to my surprise I observed an 
immense spider perched on its back. The 
moth soon fluttered away again, fruitlessly 
endeayouring to escape. The spider still held 
on to its back and was evidently gradually 
winding in the thread, as the moth’s flights 
became rapidly more circumscribed, till finally 
it was compelled to settle on the wall. The 
spider instantly 
sprang off its 
lowancpeurarerinclen 
making fast 
one end of a 
thread to its 
victim, ran a 
few feet up 
the wall and 
disappeared 
behind a_pro- 
jecting stone, 
where I sup- 
pose it made 
fast the other 
emda linia 
second or two 
it returned and ann 
commenced 
COMMENTS. 
busily enveloping the now almost motionless 
moth in a silken net. This done, it again ran 
up the wall to its lair and immediately began 
drawing up the moth with incredible rapidity 
to its hiding place. I can truly say I almost 
shuddered as I pictured to myself the horrid 
orgie so soon to take place. 
“Of what species the spider was I cannot 
say, but the moth (unless my memory 
deceives me) was an Oak-Hggar. 
“ Having never, during more than 50 years’ 
close observation of nature, witnessed such 
another episode, I am anxious to know if any 
of your readers have seen anything of the 
kind or if spiders are known to capture their 
prey thus. For my own part I have always 
considered it a most remarkable instance of 
intelligence and readiness of resource of 
these interesting creatures. Doubtless, after 
making fast one end of a thread to the wall, 
it had sprang on to the back of the moth 
which had immediately flown off. The spider, 
finding itself in such a novel and unexpected 
situation, seems not to have ‘lost its head,’ 
but actually to have played its victim as 
an expert angler plays a big fish, by letting 
the lnme run out till the moth became 
exhausted, and thus gradually winding it in 
till the prey was safely landed.” 
YOUNG CODLING SWALLOWING WHITEBAIT, 
157 
