244 AMERICAN SPIDERS. AND THEIR SPINNINGWORK. 
is two feet ten inches. 
The spider’s web extended perhaps three-fourths 
the length of the desk next to the wall, and covered the bottom of the 
desk to the width of about fifteen or sixteen inches. It was about three 
feet long by sixteen inches wide. 
“You will observe that the narrative in the news slip ends with 
Tuesday morning, August 23d. My paper, which is a weekly, went to 
The hoisting process continued all day 
Tuesday, and employés about she stable say that by dark Tuesday night 
press late Tuesday afternoon, 
the mouse was four or 
from the floor. Tuesday 
entered the room in the 
broke the web, and the 
ing, according to my re 
brushed away. I greatly 
not allowed to complete his 
captured and_ preserved. 
when I found how the 
The Hon. J. Proctor 
tative in Congress from 
ernor of the State, was 
en me by Mr. 
The Hon. me from Wash 
ore newspaper ac 
no’’S letter the follow 
Testi- - 
mony. Was first called 
or eleven o’clock 
spider having made its 
the tail of the mouse, of 
weight, gradually hoisted 
barely touch the floor 
was still busily ‘ hoisting 
was no less vigorously en 
That afternoon, perhaps 
pany with Mr. Hopper, 
ard,’ I again visited the, 
ture, and found that the~ 
four and a half inches 
= night a meddlesome boy 
dark and accidentally 
mouse fell. Next morn- 
collection, the web was 
regret that the spider was 
work, and that he was not 
I was greatly mortified 
affair had terminated.” 
Knott, then a represen- 
Kentucky, and later goy- 
one of the references giy- 
Hopper. He kindly wrote 
ington, confirming the 
count. I quote from his 
ing: “ When my attention 
to the matter—about ten 
in the  forenoon—the 
thread fast to the end of 
perhaps fifty times its own 
its prey so that it could 
with its fore paws, and 
away,’ while the mouse 
deayoring to break loose. 
near five o’clock, in com- 
the editor of the ‘Stand- 
scene of the singular cap- 
mouse had been raised so 
that the top of its nose Fic. 223, A mouse suspended bya Was precisely four inches 
from the floor, as I as oer piromasketch by Hon certained by actual meas- 
urement with a pocket rule. The spider was still 
actively at work and the mouse still struggling. The next morning I 
found the mouse dead, its nose about six inches from the floor, and 
the spider still at work. ‘The thread was attached to the end of the 
tail. This statement, although written hurriedly and amid considerable 
confusion, you may use as you think proper.” 
