WEB-SPINNER AT WORK 93 



work with great rapidity, and before one knows it 

 the guy-lines are up and the radii are being spun. 

 Attaching the end of a new thread at a point on 

 one of the guy-hnes the spider starts for the oppo- 

 site side of the area chosen. She must not only 

 keep her balance on the line, but must spin a 

 new thread as she goes and keep it from becom- 

 ing entangled with other threads. This is done by 

 the hind pair of legs, while with the other six the 

 creature is able to steady herself on her tight- 

 rope. 



Upon reaching the desired place opposite the 

 starting point, the thread is pulled taut and fastened. 

 The spider now rushes to the middle of the new 

 line and establishes the hub of her universe by 

 dropping down, spinning as she goes another 

 radius. Running back up this line to the center, 

 sometimes spinning a thread to strengthen the first, 

 she drops again, and swings to a point near the 

 attachment of the first radius, where now the second 

 one is firmly secured. Working skilfully, steadily 

 if uninterrupted, she soon has the radii in place 

 and firmly tied at the center. This work at the 

 center is done as the radii are being spun. Later 

 the center is filled with fine cross lines upon 

 "which the builder is to lie in wait when all is 

 finished, but the web is barely begun and the 

 twilight is falling when the gentle gnat doth flit. 

 The thrifty spider must hasten. 



We had heard that at this stage in the web- 

 building, when the guy -lines and radii were all 

 spun, it is necessary for the creature to spin a 



