176 nature's teachings. 



a couple of seeds sticking to a stone. On trying to pull one off, 

 I found that it came up with ease, bringing with it what I 

 thought was the stone. 



"But I had scarcely got it up when it was smartly pulled 

 back. This excited my curiosity, and I raised it again with a 

 little force. I now saw, to my wonder and admiration, that what 

 I had fancied was a stone was a small circular door with a 

 pretty broad hinge, made all of silk; and then distinctly 

 observed a large black spider dart down the hole to which the 

 above door gave an entrance. But, not knowing the depth, I 

 broke it. 



" This piece I send to you, together with its original owner, 

 who, at the beginning of my digging operations, ran up sud- 

 denly, shut the door in my face, and hung on to it like grim 

 death when I tried to reopen it. He soon came away with the 

 upper piece, still keeping the door resolutely closed." 



