
478 THE HABITS OF SPIDERS. 
animals. On the front of the head are the eight eyes, four 
near together in the centre, and a pair on each side (Fig. 3). 
The feet of spiders are wonderfully adapted for walking on 
the web. Each foot is furnished with three claws (Fig 6, a, 
b, b), the middle one of which (a) is bent over at the end, 
forming a long finger for clinging to the web, or for guiding 
the thread in spinning. The outer claws (e, e) are curved 
and toothed like a comb. Opposite the claws are several 
stiff hairs (Fig. 6,¢) which are toothed like the claws, and 
serve as a thumb for the latter to shut against. 
The spinning organs are three pairs of fleshy appendages 
situated at the posterior end of the body (Fig. 2, e). When 
not in use they are folded in towards each other, the third 
pair covering the second. When expanded, they appear as 
in Fig. 4. The end of each of these spinners (s, $) is covered 
with minute jointed tubes, like Fig. 5, which represents one 
tube much enlarged. Inside the spider, and connected with 
the spinners are several bunches of glands, which secrete ® 
liquid like the white of an egg. To form the thread this 
liquid is‘drawn through the tubes, which divide it into such 
- small fibres that it dries almost immediately on coming M 
contact with the air. The spider has the power of uniting 
these fibres into one or several threads, according to the pur- 
pose for which they are to be used. The thread commonly 
used for the web is composed of hundreds of simple fibres, 
each spun through a separate tube. As the thread runs from 
the body, it is guided by the hind feet, which hold it off from 
contact with surrounding objects, until the desired point 18 — 
reached, when a touch of the spinners fastens it securely. 
When a spider wishes to build a web she usua 
a corner, so that the structure may be attached o0 
sides. She then runs a few threads along the objects t0 
which the web is to be fastened, to facilitate her passag? 
from point to point. The web is commenced by mr 
two across the point where the centre is to be, which 1s 
usually the geometric centre, but nearer the top than : 
lly selects | 
n several : 
not 
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