290 Habits of the Diadem Spider. 



To render the^work firmer, therefore, lie passed up and down 

 the longest and most exposed of his own lines five times, and 

 at each journey he joined to the former a new cord, which, 

 from its glutinous nature, closely united with it, and rendered 

 it thicker, and of course stronger. This accomplished, his 

 next proceeding was to travel up one of his very fine adjoining 

 lines, and to gather up to himself a portion of the old soiled 

 cord and cast it free. Returning thence to the remainder of 

 the old, he gathers up a much larger portion and casts it to 

 the winds. It is too dry to adhere to the new thread, a portion 

 of which it touches as the wind acts on it; and in then going 

 on them to form the diverging threads, this individual carries 

 each one fully out to the outer long and strengthened line, 

 which we may term the cable ; and then he begins the cross 

 cords, with the outward portion first — which seems the rule 

 with all these little schemers ; and what is intended to be the 

 centre, is marked by the diverging threads on all sides coming 

 to a point : which ever has a reference to the place of conceal- 

 ment and rest. It may have been in consequence of the 

 troublesome wind at that time prevailing, that several of the 

 encircling threads which form the meshes were placed in an 

 angular direction in regard to others, and not in regularly 

 recurring parallel lines. When a strong and harsh east wind 

 was blowing, although the web was soiled and torn, it was left 

 to itself, and the adult spider remained in its retreat, with its 

 head low, and the first legs stretched forward ; but although 

 appearing to be insensible or asleep, his left hind leg held fast 

 by the warning thread that still continued stretched out. An 

 east wind appears to be hateful to these little creatures, and a 

 bright light distasteful ; but what they commonly feed on is 

 not easily ascertained. I will only add further, that in gardens 

 the outer threads of the web are sometimes carried to such 

 distances as to show that they must have been shot forth, and 

 carried on the air ; after which the progress of the structure 

 must have called forth even a higher degree of skill and 

 patience than what is mentioned above. 



"Sow can these spiders parallels design, 

 Sure as De Moivre, without rule or line?" 



If all this was the routine of instinct, what is it that presides 

 over embroidery, or taught a man to build St. Paul's ? 



I will add, also, that in instances when the web was spread 

 where it could not be fastened except at its sides, the cord of 

 warning was omitted, as evidently it could not have been of 

 use ; and further, that when the dry east wind blew for more 

 than a week, the net, although useless, was not removed or 

 renewed ; but on an alteration to milder and moist weather it 

 disappeared, and a new one was formed. 



