THE SPIDER. 119 



How carefully she again sought to discover the cause 

 of the trouble, her angry countenance showing manifest 

 displeasure at the annoyance I had caused. 



Upon nearer observation I perceived that a thread was 

 attached to each one of the little creatures, and this 

 again to the centre of the web, so that when they ran 

 out they formed a circle, and the movement caused a 

 connecting thread or threads to convey the intelligence 

 to the mother below. 



I could not but admire the care and wonder at the 

 marvellous instinct of maternity implanted as strongly 

 in this little insect's breast as it is in that of any human 

 mother. Truly instinct has been beautifully denned as 

 " God's gift to the weak." 



There is a small, nimble species of field spider, with 

 a black shining body, that is very numerous in rocky 

 pastures. 



Having first prepared a bed of some glutinous sub- 

 stance, she spreads it in a thin plate less in size than a 

 three-cent piece. On this the eggs are deposited in due 

 order, and over them is laid with great care and neatness 

 a circular cover or lid which is made to fit as exactly as a 

 pastry-cook would cover a mince pie or oyster patty. 



So artistically is our little spider pie finished, and the 

 edges brought together so exactly, that one would think 

 it had been pared evenly with a sharp knife and pressed 

 closely to prevent prying eyes from discovering the 

 baby spiders tucked in so carefully. 



