192 CURIOUS HOMES AND THEIR TENAKTS. 



strengthening the attachments to the supports. At 

 length she seemed satisfied with its dimensions, when 

 she crept into it and settled herself to rest with the 

 head downward. The cell was now the form and 

 nearly the size of half an acorn cut transversely, the 

 smaller and rounded part being uppermost. 



" The manner in which the spider possesses itself 

 of a bubble of air is very curious. She ascends slowly, 

 assisted by a thread attached to a leaf or other sub- 

 stance below and to some object on the water. As 

 soon as she comes near the surface she turns with the 

 extremity of the abdomen upward, and exposes a 

 portion of the body for an instant to the air, then 

 with a jerk snatches, as it were, a bubble of air, 

 which is not only attached to the hairs that cover 

 the abdomen, but is held on by the two hinder legs, 

 which are crossed at an acute angle near their ex- 

 tremity ; the crossing of the legs taking place the 

 moment the bubble is seized. 



" The little creature then descends more rapidly, 

 and regains its cell always by the same route, turns 

 the abdomen within it and disengages the bubble by 

 opening her hind feet and letting it go." 



