A MANUFACTURER 
73 
strength to manufacture more, and so would be 
utterly unable to bind any prey which drifted into 
her net. Besides she is not hungry. Her rapa¬ 
cious appetite has failed her utterly, and, in short, 
she has so little interest in things in general that 
she languishes around for a few days and then 
dies. 
“ This, I may add, is not the way of all spiders. 
A few species carry their egg-sacs about with 
them continually, guarding them jealously, and 
later rear up the spiderlings in the way they 
should go. We shall probably meet some of this 
clan later. Just now we must keep tab on the 
banded spider’s silken balloon. All winter it is 
well-protected in its lowly grassy hummock, held 
close to the bosom of Mother Earth, and per¬ 
chance hidden for the better part of the time be¬ 
neath a blanket of snow. No matter whether the 
winter be mild or severe, the eggs are safe and 
snug in their warm pocket. In March the spi¬ 
derlings begin to hatch out, and then follows a 
perfectly dreadful time while the larger ones eat 
the smaller, and all struggle in vain to break out 
of their stout little quarters. By and by the 
pocket does give way, and they shoot out over 
the comforter helter-skelter in every direction. 
There is more room there; hence less fighting and 
squabbling, and the youngsters have more time 
to spend pushing against the walls. But they 
