# The Life of the Spider

Originally published in French in Souvenirs entomologiques (1879–1909)
THE LIFE OF THE SPIDER
BY J. HENRI FABRE
TRANSLATED BY Alexander Teixeira de Mattos FELLOW OF THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON With a Preface by Maurice Maeterlinck
BLUE RIBBON BOOKS, INC. NEW YORK CITY
Copyright, 1912 By DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY
PRINTED AND BOUND BY THE CORNWALL PRESS, INC., FOR BLUE RIBBON BOOKS, INC., 386 FOURTH AVE., NEW YORK CITY
Printed in the United States of America
CONTENTS
* PAGE
* Preface: The Insect's Homer, by Maurice Maeterlinck7
* Translator's Note36
* CHAPTER
* IThe Black-Bellied Tarantula................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................39
* IIThe Banded Epeira................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................78
* IIIThe Narbonne Lycosa................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................105
* IVThe Narbonne Lycosa: The Burrow................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................125
* VThe Narbonne Lycosa: The Family................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................153
* VIThe Narbonne Lycosa: The Climbing-Instinct................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................171
* VIIThe Spider's Exodus................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................187
* VIIIThe Crab Spider................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................213
* IXThe Garden Spiders: Building the Web................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................228
* XThe Garden Spiders: My Neighbour................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................248
* XIThe Garden Spiders: The Lime-Snare................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................272
* XIIThe Garden Spiders: The Telegraph-Wire................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................282
* XIIIThe Garden Spiders: Pairing and Hunting................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................296
* XIVThe Garden Spiders: The Question of Property................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................317
* XVThe Labyrinth Spider................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................330
* XVIThe Clotho Spider................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................360
* Appendix: The Geometry of The Epeira's Web................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................383
This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1929.
The longest-living author of this work died in 1949, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 74 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.
Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse