KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



33 



FURTHER REMARKS ON THE SPIDER. 



{Continued from page 277', Vol. II.) 



Lo ! in this curious insect, 

 What microscopic proofs of skill and power, 

 Hidden for ages past, God now displays 

 To combat atheists with, in modern days I 



RIUMPHING, as we now are, 

 daily, over old prejudices ; and 

 viewing the wonders of creation 

 as we now do with a desire to 

 know more and more of their 

 varied attractions, — we deem 

 nothing that the Creator has 

 made, unworthy our attention. 

 All Persons who really love to watch Nature 

 in some of her more delicate movements, should 

 carefully study the operations of the Spider. 

 _ It is not merely in the construction of their re- 

 sidence that they turn their silken filament to ac- 

 count. With its assistance, they are enabled to 

 fabricate a cradle for their progeny, so well-con- 

 trived that it is impossible to contemplate it with- 

 out admiration, or without reflecting that even 

 among these most savage and ferocious of all 

 living animals, "Love strong as Death," has 

 been appointed the safeguard and defender of 

 the race. Who would expect anything like af- 

 fection in a female spider — remorseless, cruel, and 

 blood-thirsty as she is ? Her very mate approaches 

 her with fear and trembling ; for should she not 

 happen to be in an extremely good temper, his 

 life inevitably pays the forfeit of his rashness, his 

 amiable spouse feeling not the slightest objection 

 to obtain a hearty meal by devouring her better- 

 half ; yet. strange to say, no animals can be pointed 

 out more devotedly attached to their progeny than 

 the females of these relentless devourers. When 

 about to lay her eggs, converting her silken thread 

 to a new use, the spider-mother constructs with 

 it a beautiful globular basket or cocoon, in which 

 she deposits her precious treasure, and then binds 

 the cradle to some part of her body, or sometimes 

 simply carries it clasped to her breast ; no mat- 

 ter how she may be engaged, she never leaves it, 

 even while at the chase in search of food ; no dan- 

 ger, no torture will make her drop her cherished 

 burden, nor while life lasts will anything compel 

 her to desert the charge entrusted to her care. 

 When the young are hatched, the spectacle is 

 equally interesting ; for the new-born progeny, as 

 they leave the egg, creep out upon their mother's 

 back, who carries them about and defends them 

 with tiger-like courage, until they become strong 

 enough to procure their own subsistence. 



Spiders, _ unlike the true insects, frequently 

 change their skin, and present themselves in a new 

 and enlarged dress as their growth proceeds. The 

 manner in which this operation is effected 

 is thus described by Mr. Blackwall, to whose ex- 

 cellent observations on the structure and economy 

 of these creatures we are indebted for an account 

 of the process : — " Preparatory to casting its inte- 

 guments, the spider spins several strong lines in 

 the vicinity of its snare, from which it suspends 

 itself by the feet, and a filament proceeding from 

 the spinners. After remaining for a short time in 

 this situation, the horny covering of the thorax 

 gives way by a fissure running down each side of 



the body, immediately above the insertion of the 

 mandibles and legs, so that the head and thorax 

 are the first parts liberated. The line of separa- 

 tion pursues the same direction till it extends to 

 the abdomen, which is the next part disengaged ; 

 the extrication of the legs being the last and great- 

 est difficulty the spider has to overcome. 



" As the suspensory filament connected with tho 

 spinners of the exuviae is considerably shorter than 

 the legs, and does not undergo any sensible altera- 

 tion in length, the abdomen during the process of 

 moulting becomes gradually deflected from its ori- 

 ginal horizontal direction, till it assumes a vertical 

 position nearly at right angles with the thorax. 

 By this change of posture, attended with numerous 

 contortions of the body, and alternate contractions 

 and extensions of the limbs, the spider is ultimately 

 enabled to accomplish its purpose. The spines 

 with which the legs are provided, no doubt con- 

 tribute to facilitate the operation greatly ; for as 

 they are directed down the limbs, and are move- 

 able at the will of the animal, when it has par- 

 tially drawn its legs from their sheath, by con- 

 tracting them, it can prevent them from re-enter- 

 ing, by slightly erecting the spines, and thus 

 bringing their extremities in contact with the 

 inner surface of the integuments. 



" When the spider has completely disengaged 

 itself from the slough, it remains for a short period 

 in a state of great exhaustion, suspended solely 

 by a thread from the spinners, connected with the 

 interior of the abdominal portion of the cast skin, 

 which is much corrugated and drawn together. 

 The entire process, as above described, occupies 

 the space of about twenty minutes. After repos- 

 ing a little, the spider further attaches itself to the 

 suspensory linos by the claws of the feet ; and when 

 its strength is sufficiently restored, and its limbs 

 have acquired the requisite degree of firmness, it 

 ascends its filaments and seeks its retreat." 



Such are a few only of the curious provisions of 

 nature, with regard to this insect. Vulgar 

 minds recoil at the sight of the spider, and can see 

 no beauty in the work of its hands." They 

 shriek, and run away, as if from a revolting spec- 

 tacle. We pity such people, and blush for their 

 narrow intellect. 



AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A DOG.— No. IX. 



WRITTEN BY HIMSELF. 



(Continued from Vol. II., page 406 J 



Heark'ee, Mr. Editor, — " La dent d'oche 

 fume sa pipe," and so does my old master now and 

 then, and I see no harm in it. Indeed, it is 

 rather a cosey sight to see the old boy snugly 

 ensconced in his little summer-house, and enjoy- 

 ing his patent " yerbury " well primed with best 

 "latakia, myself reclining by his feet on one side, 

 and my godson (an immense black cat) on the 

 other — a glass of sherry-and-water on the little 

 shelf, and though last, not least, the latest number 

 of Our Journal, which he is quietly conning over. 



This is a very calm scene you will admit ; but 

 it is a vastly different story when the " dent 

 d'oche" performs, as you shall presently see. I 

 must premise, Mr. Editor, that the " dent d'oche" 

 is a very high mountain in Savoy, about three 



Vol. III.— 3. 



