SPIDER-WEBS 
25 
Mrs. Spider is directing a great number of extra spun lines out 
toward the circumference of her web. This, no doubt, is to establish 
communication with all points of her territory. 
Finally, a very slight vibration passes over some line, and Mrs. 
Spider is on the alert. She gives a great tiger spring and clears her 
feet from her silken web. But the 
caller at the door seems badly 
mixed up. 
Now is Mrs. Spider’s oppor¬ 
tunity. She pounces down upon 
her visitor and gives him so vicious 
a sting that he is paralyzed. The 
sting is under Mrs. Spider’s jaw. 
Next she winds her visitor around 
securely with spun threads, and 
then she takes him to her pretty 
little parlor. Mr. Fly never comes 
forth again. 
Another species simply digs a 
hole in the earth and lines it 
throughout with a matting of the 
spun silken threads. Then they 
conceal themselves in a near-by 
wall and lie in ambush for a while. 
As a stranger insect approaches the conveniently prepared nest, the 
spider rushes upon him quickly. Thus this spider secures his break¬ 
fast, dinner, and supper. 
But the most notable is a large spider of Madagascar that weaves 
a web so strong, it is said, that a light bamboo cane can be laid across 
it without injuring it. 
The ide^| of manufacturing silk from the spider’s silken secretions 
has been discoursed upon by distinguished scientists for hundreds of 
years. But it was not until ten years ago that the spun thread of this 
large Madagascar spider came under consideration. Then the idea of 
making an experiment with it was conceived. Twenty-five thousand 
of these large spiders were secured. They were placed in small boxes 
with their spinnerets protruding. Then the fine, delicate work of reel¬ 
ing off the silken threads directly from the spiders commenced. At 
The spider 
