24 
PLANTS AND INSECTS 
when an enemy breaks into the first, he finds an empty nest. The spider 
has gone into the inner chamber and shut the door, which is covered 
over with silk and not easily to be detected. 
When any one attempts to open the trap-door of a nest, the spi¬ 
der grabs hold of the silken lining and braces his powerful legs in the 
meshes lining the inside of the tube. He will not let gol until his legs 
or head are pulled from, his body. 
Some of the tropical spiders are very brilliant and beautiful in 
color. Even in our own country the large yellow spiders with brown 
legs and markings are beautiful if we but lay aside the local prejudice 
and forget to be afraid of these perfectly harmless and useful crea¬ 
tures while we take time to; observe them. 
There are myriads of these creatures that we never see at all. 
Some are red, some pale green, and some gray. They are so minute 
that we pass by them unless we especially look for them. Last year 
we disturbed a web which was literally swarming with tiny yellowish 
spiders no larger than grains of corn meal. When the web fell on the 
walk it looked exactly as if some one had spilled a handful of com meal 
and the grains had taken to themselves long legs and were walking off. 
Some morning when the dew is on if you will walk out into the field 
or the garden you will see many glistening gossamier threads glittering 
among the grasses, the shrubbery, and underneath the leaves of the 
trees and plants. These are the webs of spiders and are unseen until 
they catch the dew. The larger webs called cobwebs are easy enough 
•to be seen at any time, if you but take the trouble to look about you. 
Selected. 
SPIDER-WEBS 
LL spiders are spinners. It is interesting to note some of the 
peculiar-shaped webs spun by the different species. The webs are 
always constructed with the one object in view, that of capturing food 
supplies. 
Out in some quiet secluded corner you may spy a circular web very 
finely and systematically constructed.) It is a disk of solid silken web 
with threads radiating from the center to the circumference. You will 
doubtless find Mrs. Spider seated at the center like a girl at the tele¬ 
phone. 
