WASP AND SPIDER. 
251 
Tuesday, 15 tit. — Very sultry; thermometer 95 in the shade.* 
The sun rose clear and bright ; but soon after a few clouds gath- 
ered on the hills, and hopes of rain were again awakened. Many 
anxious eyes were cast upward, but the clouds dispersed, and 
the heat continued unrelenting. 
The geometric spiders are weaving their neat and regular webs 
about the gardens and out-buildings. The pea-brush and bean- 
poles are well garnished with them. The earth also is covered 
with webs, as usual at this season. In France the peasants call 
these, as they He spread on the grass, Jils de Marie — Mary's 
threads — from some half-religious fancy 'of olden times. 
Sitting in the shade this afternoon, we watched a fierce skirmish 
between a black wasp and a large spider, who had spun its web 
among the tendrils of a Virginia creeper. The wasp chanced to 
alight on the outskirts of the spider's domain, where his legs be- 
came partially entangled ; he had scarcely touched the leaf when 
the watchful creature made a rapid dash at him. The antago- 
nists were placed face to face ; whether the wasp wounded his 
enemy one could not say, but after the first touch, the spider in- 
stantly retreated several inches, still keeping, however, a bold, 
undisguised position, her great fixed eyes staring fiercely at the 
intruder. The wasp was getting more and more entangled in 
the web ; he grew angry, moved his wings and legs rapidly, but 
to no purpose. Seeing his situation as clearly as the spectator, 
or probably more so, the spider made another attack, and the 
adversaries closed in a fierce struggle. The wasp seemed anxious 
to bring his sting to bear upon the enemy ; the spider equally 
* We have known it 97 in the village ; 103 is said to be the highest it has ever 
reached in the State, and that was in Orange County. 
