The North-Carolinian. [volume] (Fayetteville [N.C.]) 1839-1861, 1857-08-08
NORTH CAROLINIAN
THE SPIDER AND THE SNAKE.
F.4YETTEVILLE, \



ASTONISHING FEAT OF A HOUSE SPIDER. Ii
1t would seem that there is living thingE q
so obnoxious as not to find some admirers. Z
What creatures so repusive as rats and spi-H
ders2 Yet the London Quarterly finds some
thing beautiful and .ezen laEaaile inlthe former,
era Fitch, in Harpers Monthly, TAI
bors to sii5w that the latter delicate little 4
objects are worthy Of our esteem and admira-
ton. He denies that their bite is fatal to any
save insects, and extols their agility, adroit-S
ness, sagacity and heroism worthy of all p
praise. In support Of these views, he tells thea
following curious story concerning a heroic !
spider who captured snake The affair came &
loft last summer in the store of Charles Cook, in
the village of Havana, Chemung county, n. Z
H., and is attested by the Hon. a. B. Dickin- =
son, of Corning, "who himself witnessed the :
phenomenon, as did more than a hundred other
persons"
An ordinary looking spider of dark color, |
Hts body not larger than that of comriionl
house fly had taken up its residence, it ap-i
pears, on the under side Of shelf beneath thel
counter of Mr. Cooks store. What may wei
Suppose was the surprise and CONSERVATION OIL
! this little animal discovering a snake about
Ia foot long selecting for its abode the floor
underneath, only two three spans distant1
i from it's nest 1t common silk snake,
which, perhaps, had been brought into the)
store unseen in quantity OF saw-dust withI
B which the floor had been recently "carpeted." u
The spider was we'll aware, no doubt that ltl
xwovld inevitably fall prey to this horrd mon
lster the first time it should ncautously ven
Eture within its reach. We should expect that
4 to avoid such a frightfu doom, it would for
sake it's present abode and seek more secure
: retreat elsewhere. But it is not improbable
I that a brood of its eggs young was secreted
Knear the spot, which the parent foresaw would
hfall prey to this monster if they were aban-
Edoned by their natural guardian and protector
q e ee apfef 11esF ma1a Nai9
to remain aud defend that particular spot al
sthe imminent risk of her own life, when she
acouId so easily have fed and established herself
Hin some secure corner elsewhere. But how
I'VE may we'll ask, was it possible for such q
sweak tender little creature to combat such &
powerful mail-cad giant? What power hao
Sshe to do anything which could subject the
j monster to even the slightest Inconvenience OF
smolestation? Her ordinary resort, that of fet
j. Etering and binding her victim by throwing hel
q @threads of cobweb around it, it is plain, woulc
Il be of no more avail here than the cords upor
q the limbs of the unshorn Sampson. Aware thai
her accustomed mode Of attack was useless
Show did she acquire the knowledge and sagacity
reouisite for devising another, adapted so ex
actlv to the case in hand-one depending upoi
1.-The structure ard habits of the serpent to aie
Ii II ful
Ito perceive that it was in her power to wind
Hoop of her threads around this creatures throat
Edespite of all his endeavors to foil her in th1
&work-a loop of sufficient strength to hold hin
securely, notwithstanding his struggles ant
Ewrthings, until by her tackle-like power sh
Ecould gradually hoist him up from the floor
kthus literally hanging him by the neck until h
was dead? for this was the feat which thi
adroit little heroine actually performed-a fea
Ebeside which all the fabled exploits of Hercu!e
I. Hin overpowerng lions and serpents and dragon
4sink into utter insgnfcance! And who ca
Esav that in the planning and execution OF th'
J. Bstupendous achievement there was not tort
III thought, reasoning, careful weighing of
Ethe difficulties and dangers, and a clear percel
lnal4tion in the mind of this little creature that s
st# possessed the ability to accomplish what sl
d undertook: in short exercise OF faculties OF
le eHmuch higher order than the mere Instinct whlc
D. lis commonly supposed to guide and Cover
Etbese lower animals in their movements!
d-E BY what artifce the spider was able in I'll
n first of its attack to accomplish what 1T dl
1--WE can only conjecture, as its work was NJ
ns3 discovered until the most difficult and darn
eel mart of its feat had been performed h
IS first seen it had placed a loop around the me-
3 of the serpent, from the top OF which sing
& thread was carried upward and attached to t
-Eunder side of the shelf, whereby the head
1.-THE serpent was drawn up about two incl
Efrom the floor The snake moving arou
fand around necessarily in circle as large
/ its tether would allow, wholly unable to {
Hits head down to the floor or to withdraw
from the moose, while the heroic little spid
&exulting no doubt in the success of its Gxplo
(which was now sure beyond peradventu
the Twas ever and anon passing down to the 10
land up to the shelf, adding thereby an ad
Etional strand to the thread, each OF which u