CHAPTER XIII 

 SPIDERS AND THEIR WEB-MAKING 



The abundance, variety, wide distribution, and inter- 

 esting habits of spiders, and the ease with which they may 

 be kept aHve and observed in captivity make them excel- 

 lent subjects of observation by young zoologists. The 

 bite of no one of the common small spiders of house and 

 field and garden causes any more pain than the prick of 

 a needle. The bite of the tarantula and of a few of the 

 large running spiders may cause some pain, but in study- 

 ing spiders there is no necessity of being bitten at all. 



The animals should be observed both in the schoolroom 

 and out-of-doors. One can get acquainted with the make- 

 up of the spider body and with some of the feeding habits, 

 and even some of the spinning, in the schoolroom. The 

 rearing of spiders from eggs and the observation and 

 growth of the " spidcrlings " can also be managed 

 in the schoolroom. Rut the study of spiders' homes, 

 the different kinds of \\'ebs they spin, with the processes 

 of web-building, and the general habits of the various 

 common kinds must, most of it, be done in the field or 

 garden or along the roadside; in a word, out-of-doors. 



Collecting spiders. — To collect live spiders for the 

 schoolroom one should provide himself with a number of 

 empty pill-boxes, cap-bo.\cs, or other small paper-, 

 wooden-, or tin-boxes with well-fitting cover. Each of 

 these will serve as collecting tool for one spider, and as 

 cage to keep it in until the schoolroom is reached. Search 



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