THE SNARE - WE A VERS. 1 85 
But when the thread is made, how is it to be 
drawn out and guided on its way ? Under the 
microscope her feet are seen to be formed of three 
claws, the middle one longer and bent, so as to grasp 
the threads as she runs, and the other two toothed 
liked combs. With these combs and the spines 
and hairs upon her legs she manipulates the tender 
Fig- 65. 
Web of the Garden Spider. 
thread as it oozes from her body and does with it 
what she will. 
And now let us watch her at her work. Running 
hither and thither, she first selects a spot (V) to start 
from, and pressing her spinnerets against it leaves 
there a little lump of sticky silk. Then standing 
quite still she gives out from her spinnerets a light 
floating thread. Longer and longer it grows and 
