35 



of fresh living food is then swung in to the center of the 

 web where it will be in easy reach when hunger calls. It 

 is but natural to pity the insect that is tied up awaiting 

 the appetite of its captor, but we must remember that it 

 always has been and ever will be the way of the world, — 

 the strong and the cunning live upon the weak and ignor- 

 ant. Furthermore the insects that spiders capture are al- 

 most without exception ones that are injurious to vegetation 

 or public health. Spiders play a very important role in 

 keeping down undue increase of insect life. 



The "traps" of these orange and velvety-black spiders 

 are very commonly erected among blackberry vines or 

 among the white chrysanthemums that dot the fields. Each 

 species of spider has its own style of architecture; many 

 kinds set their nets in erect positions like Argiope and 

 many others spread theirs horizontally near the ground. 

 The former apparently entangle more insects but the latter 

 offer a safer retreat for the owner which generally lies in 

 wait in a covered, silken tube leading down into the ground. 

 Although spiders prey upon other insects they are in turn 

 preyed upon. Nearly all kinds are regarded by birds as 

 dainty morsels but even greater than the danger from this 

 source is that from many of the solitary wasps which use 

 them as food for their babies as described in the sketch 

 of a mud-dauber. 



Spiders, especially the smaller ones, as well as all other 

 animate things have the wanderlust and they construct re- 

 markable vehicles to carry them on their voyages. They 

 are aeronauts of no mean ability. If we closely watch 

 them at the proper time, usually in October, we may see 

 them construct their airship and incidentally see how they 

 spin their silken webs. When a spider's ambition turns 

 to ballooning it hies away to the top of a fence post, the 

 end of a twig or it may be the top of a golden-rod. Our 

 spider takes a firm hold with its legs, elevates its body at 

 an angle of about forty-five degrees and commences spin- 

 ning silken threads. The liquid silk comes in five tiny 



