Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1857-10-15
Astonishing Feat Of a House spi-
der.


repulsive as rats and spiders! Yet
the London Quarterly finds some
thing beautiful and even loveable in
the former. and DR.. Asa Fitch, in
Harper's Monthly, labors to show
.bat the slater delicate little OBJ
iects'' are worthy of all praise. In
support of these views he tells the
following curious story concerning a
heroic spider who captured a snake.
The affair came off last summer IN
the store of Charles Cook, 10 the
village of Havana, Chemung county,
N. Y, and is attested by the Hon.
A. B. Dickinson Of Corning, "who
himself witnessed the phenomenon,
AS did more. than hundred others
present"
An ordinary looking spider OF a
dark color in body not larger than
common house fly, had taken
up its residence, it appears, on the
under side of shelfbeneatn the coun-
ter Of Mr.. Cocks store. What may
we suppose was the surprise and
CONSERVATION of this little animal
ON discovering a snake, about a foot
long. selecting for its abode the floor
underneath, only two or three spans
distant from its nest? II was COM
mon silk snake, which, perhaps, had
been brought into the store unseen
in quantity Of saw-dust With which
the floor has been recently carpet
ed" The spider was we'll aware, no
doubt, that-it would inevitably tall
prey to this horrid monster the
| first time it should incautlously ven
ture within its reach. We should
expect that to avoid such frightful
doom, it would forsake its present
abode, and seek more secure retreat
elsewhere. But it is net improbable
that broet. of its eggs OF young was
secreted near the spot, which the
parent foresaw would fall prey to
this monster if they we're abandoned
by their natural guardian and protee-
tor. We can conceive tf no other
motive which should have induced
the spider to pertinaciously remain
and defend that particular spot, at
the imminent risk of her own life,
when she could so easily have tied
aud established herself in some Sc
cure corner elsewhere. But how, We
may we'll ask, was it possible for such
a weak tender little creature to COM
bat such a powerful mail-clad gian'1
Her ordinary resort, that of lettering
and binding her victim. by throwing
F., her threads of cobSebs around 1t, II
is plain would be ofno more avail here
than the chords upon the limbs Q
the unshorn Sampson.
/ By what artifcs the spider wa!
able in the first of its attack to &C
complish whatit did, we can only
conjecture, as its work was not dis
covered until the most difficult ant
daring part of its feat had been per
formed. Wher first seen, it bad pla
ced a loop around the neck OF tn
serpent, from the top of which
single thread was carried upwar'
and attached to the under side Q
the shelf, whereby .the head OF tn
serpent was drawn up about two IN
ches from the floor. The snake wa
. moving around and around incessant
ly, in a circle as large as its tethe
would allow-wholly unable to ge
its head down to the floor, or t
, withdraw it from the moose, while tn
: heroic little spider, exulting no douh
in the success Of its exploit, whlc
was now sure beyond a peradver
ture. was ever aud anon passln
down TO the loop and up to the shei
adding thereby an additional stran
to the thread, each of which ne
. strands being tightly drawn, elevate
! the head of the snake gradually mol
: and more. ,n.
But the most curious and sk'lli'
: palt of the performance is yet to
, told. When it was in the act
|, ! running down the thread to the loo
!, the reader will perceive it was po'
: sible for the snake, by turning q
! head vertically upward, to snap =
and seize the spider in bis mout'
] This had, 20 doubt, been repeater
: attempted IN the earlier part OF Il
Iconaict; but. instead Of catching %