58 



covered with a sticky liquid which 

 soon collects on it in drops, and 

 makes it adhere to anything that 

 touches it. After going round a few 

 times this spiral would come in con- 

 tact with that first spun, but as the 

 spider comes to the first she bites 

 it away. By beginning thus at the 

 outside, the spider is able to cover 

 the whole web with adhesive threads, 

 and, without stepping on it, take her 

 usual place in the centre. She usually 

 is careful enough to spin beforehand 

 a thread from the centre to her nest, 

 and sometimes stays there, with one 

 foot on the thread, so as to feel if 

 anything is caught in the web. When 

 she feels a shake, she runs down to 

 the centre, feels the rays to see where 

 the insect is, and runs out, and seizes 

 it, or ties it up as already described. 

 We have described the web as con- 

 sisting of one regular spiral ; but this 

 is seldom the case. It is usually 

 Fig. 24. wider on one side than the other, or 



below than above, as in Fig. 24, where outside the spirals are several loops going partly 

 round the web. The web of Zilla consists entirely of such loops going three-quarters 

 round the web, and returning, leaving a segment without any cross-threads, in which is 

 the line from the centre to the spider's nest. Most of the Epeiridce are brightly coloured, 

 and make no attempt at concealment when in the web. Others have odd shapes and 

 colours, and hang in the web in such positions that they look like anything but ani- 

 mals. Some species draw up their legs against their triangular abdomens, and [look like 

 bits of bark fallen into the web. Others are long and slender, and when at rest, either 

 in the web or out, lay their legs close together before and behind their bodies, so as to 

 look like straws. Others have oddly shaped abdomens under which the rest of the body 

 is concealed. 



As the spider stands in her web, and feels a slight shake, such as would be caused 

 by a sudden wind, she draws her legs together, pulling the rays tighter, and so making 

 the whole web steady. If, however, the spider is frightened, and has no time to escape, 

 she throws her body back and forth as a man does in a swing, and thus shakes the web 

 so rapidly, that the spider can hardly be seen. The most usual habit^ when alarmed, is 

 to drop to the ground, and lie there as if dead. 



8. — Flying Spiders. 



Every -one has, no doubt, observed in summer and autumn long threads with one 

 end attached to the bushes, and the other blowing out in the wind ; or bits of cob-web 

 (often termed " gossamer ") carried along by the currents of air, with occasionally a little 

 spider attached to them. To account for these, various fanciful theories have been in- 

 vented. The old and very absurd notion was that gossamer was made of dew scorched 

 by the sun ! Others imagined that spiders were able to force the thread from their 

 spinnerets, like water from a syringe, in any direction they chose. 



If a spider be put on a stick surrounded by water, she manages in course of time t6 

 escape by means of a thread carried across to some object beyond. To find out how this 

 was done, Mr. Blackwall tried some experiments. He put spiders on sticks in vessels of 

 water, and they ran up and down, unable to escape as long as the air in the room was 

 still. But, if a draught of air passed the spider, she turned her head toward it, and 



