Habits of the Diadem Spider. 287 



of this line that the thread at first is made to adhere, and then 

 it is that there begins a series of lines, or cords, which are 

 made to pass from the corner or angle of the porch, to the 

 distant thread, at regular diverging distances ; and about the 

 middle of these, or inclined a little toward one side — the 

 nearest border of the triangle — a separate thread is brought 

 up to the more retired recess where the little creature finds 

 his home. It is evident that this latter is to be a cord of 

 alarm, by the vibration of which every motion of the intended 

 net is to be known without stirring from his place; and so 

 well is this contrived that, even when apparently at rest, and 

 perhaps asleep, with the head sunk and the body only appear- 

 ing, with the legs extended forward, one of the hind legs 

 retains its hold of the line by one of the joints. After form- 

 ing this, the next proceeding is to draw lines from one of 

 the diverging threads to another, beginning at the outermost, 

 at regular closing distances, so that at last we have a net 

 spread out in a triangular form, with cords at first running 

 from the corner of the woodwork ; which cords are crossed 

 by short lines which pass from one to another, being of 

 course shorter as they come near the place of retreat, and 

 also much closer together. This, however, is only the 

 beginning of the plan which this little artist has laid down for 

 himself; nor is the calculation of future contingencies less 

 evident than in some of the most elaborate works of man. 

 One great principle is, to secure a high degree of elasticity, 

 without which much of the labour would be in vain. A line, 

 therefore, is carried downward from the thread which, at the 

 lower angle of the original triangle, was glued to the wood ; 

 and it is again fastened to the same upright wood several 

 inches below, the evident intention being that it should form 

 a side rope for the cross lines of the web ; so that while they 

 are kept straight by it the strain may possess such an amount 

 of elasticity as could not be provided if these cross lines were 

 fixed on the solid wood. The next proceeding was to extend a 

 cord from the upper woodwork obliquely down to this 

 newly-made perpendicular line, so as to constitute a larger 

 triangle than the first, and so on for several lines in succes- 

 sion, at, for the size of the workman, a considerable distance 

 from each other; and the accuracy displayed in maintaining 

 the proper distance was surprising, as being equal below as 

 it was above, although this little creature had to travel over 

 several lengths of its own body in order to fix the cord in 

 its proper place ; and yet it never failed to observe the proper 

 measurement, although the distance was regularly diverging, 

 and not exactly equal. At last there came a line longer 

 than all the others, the upper end of which was attached to 



