expanded. These spinnerets are covered with hundreds of jointed 

 hairs which are perforated and through which the web-forming mate- 

 rial escapes. This material is fluid and something like the white of 

 an egg. Escaping from the body, through hundreds of these minute 

 openings, the strands of this fluid drj' almost instantly, and, uniting, 

 form the delicate, yet comparatively strong, thread of the spider. 

 Thus it will be seen that the thread of the spider is composed of hun- 

 dreds of strands, which may be often separated just as the fibres of a 

 rope may be pulled apart. 



As the thread issues from the spinnerets the spider guides it with 

 its liind pair of feet, and these are curiously adapted for the purpose 

 not only of holding and guiding the thread, but also of enabling the 

 spider to run rapidly across its nets without getting entangled, while 

 other animals become helplessly ensnared in attempting the same 

 thing. 



The ends of the legs terminate in three claws, a pair of larger ones, 

 generally notched like a comb, and a third one, like a spine, which 

 acts as a thumb. Other notched spines or hairs also aid in securing 

 a hold upon the web, and even if these fail to secure a footing, the leg 

 itself is covered with long, stifE bristles, pointing downward, which 

 are sure to catch in the web. The two large notched claws, as well 

 as the other claw and spines, are highly polished, and consequently 

 present no roughened surface to which the thread will adhere. 



By observing the spiders which build their nets across the openings 

 of windows and in other convenient places while at work, they 

 may be seen to use their hind feet in apparently drawing out the 

 thread, as it were, from the spinnerets. It will be observed that the 

 thread issues in a broad band, and, when these spiders are sluggish, 

 the thread may be caught on the end of a pencil by gently rubbing 

 the spinnerets with it and then by withdrawing the pencil the thread 

 may be reeled off. 



The various kinds of nets are adapted to entrap the spider's food, 

 which consists of flies and other insects. 



Certain lands of spiders do not build nets, but go in search of their 

 prey by stealthily creeping up and pouncing upon it unawares. 



It is a very interesting sight to watch the little black-and-white 

 spider (so common on the sides of houses) slyly approach a fly which 

 has alighted near it. If the spider is on the side of a window sill and 

 a fly has alighted near it, the spider instantly turns around, facing the 

 fly, cautiously and very slowly moves backward till it gets on the 

 upper side of the window sill and out of sight, when it rapidly 

 approaches, now and then peering over the edge of the sill, to see 



