140 THE MEANING OF EVOLUTION 
becomes an effective cocoon, spherical in shape, with a 
little opening at the top like the neck of a small bottle. 
The egg cocoon is woven in a mass of tangled silk 
between the branches of some tough weed which will 
be sure to outlast the winter. Into the egg cocoon the 
spider may place one thousand or more eggs. Having 
thus provided her children with a snug winter home, 
the spider dies. When spring comes with the warm 
rays of the sun, the eggs hatch and the cocoon be- 
comes a creeping mass of minute spiders. At the 
time these spiders appear there is nothing for them 
to eat. The obvious way out of this difficulty is taken. 
At once there begins a progressive party. Spider 
fights with spider, and the prize in each conflict is the 
body of the victim, which is promptly eaten. The 
winners in the first round pair off again, and a little 
later, as hunger drives them, another set of combats 
comes on, resulting in another halving of the number 
of spiders in the cocoon. This process continues un- 
til not more than one-tenth of the original number of 
spiders remains. By this time they have gained suffi- 
cient strength of leg and jaw, and sufficient dexterity 
in the use of both, to make it safe for them to ven- 
ture out and try their fortunes among the accidents 
of a strenuous world. There can be little doubt after 
this long process has worked its final results which 
tenth remains. Chance plays but small part in this 
