116 PEARLS AND PEBBLES. 



to note his subtlety in concealing himself, his fierce and 

 jealous temper— all traits belonging to the savage, and, 

 alas, too often to be found among the more civilized of 

 the human race. 



But the spider is not altogether without his good 

 qualities. We must do him justice, and not slay him 

 without mercy. 



He has energy, industry and great perseverance under 

 difficulties. He is no idler. Instead of giving up 

 immediately on the first failure, he sets to work to 

 repair what has been destroyed or injured, not once but 

 several times. He is courageous, for he will not be 

 daunted even by a wasp or a big blustering bully of a 

 blow-fly, twice as strong as himself ; though, and this is 

 hardly to be recommended as a good quality, he often 

 overcomes his enemy by effective cunning. He has no 

 pity for his victim, but casts his entangling threads 

 over him and binds him down securely ; then, knowing 

 that his cries will bring him no aid and his struggles 

 will but bind his bonds more closely and finally exhaust 

 him, the wicked spider retreats to his dark corner and 

 waits for the death of the unhappy prisoner. 



An ugly picture ! We will turn away from it now 

 and see if we cannot find a more pleasant side to spider 

 life in the maternal instinct. 



One motherly spider carries her eggs along in a 

 white silken bag wherever she goes, as if she were 

 afraid to let them out of her sight. This is a dusky 



