16 ' NATURE’S CRAFTSMEN 
the spider itself is a decidedly beautiful little 
creature. It-” 
“ A beautiful spider! The idea! ” said Alice 
laughing. 
“ ‘ Handsome is as handsome does,’ missy,” de¬ 
fended Tommy, quickly. “ Go on, Uncle John.” 
“ —Has a variegated coat of white or light 
yellow, sometimes becomingly flecked with pink 
or purple,” Uncle John continued quietly, finish¬ 
ing his sentence exactly as though he had not 
been interrupted, though his eyes twinkled. “ It 
is a large spider, about one-fourth of an inch long. 
Its legs are yellow, shading to orange and brown¬ 
ish tints. It has a wide round abdomen, marked 
with a dark stripe or row of dark spots on each 
side. But it is not the spider that attracts at¬ 
tention so much as it is his novel quarters. His 
web is an oblong orb, with a meshed hub, and 
there is a wide free zone , that is a place where 
the meshes are lacking—a sort of open window, 
if you please, through which it is hoped the un¬ 
wary insect will be tempted to enter. Usually 
there are two drag-lines leading back to the re¬ 
treat. And a decidedly snug and safe little place 
this is! A leaf, or possibly two leaves, are drawn 
together to form a little tent, beneath which 
hangs a silken tube one inch or more in length 
and half as wide, woven in an ingenious lattice- 
work pattern which allows the spider to peer out 
