The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1857-07-18
The Spider and the Snake.

1t would seem that there is no living thing
so obnoxious as not to find some admirers.
" hat creatures so rcpulSivc as rats and spi-
ders. Yet the London Quarterly finds some
thing beautiful and even lovcablc in the form
cr, and Dr. Asa Fitch. in lIarpcr's Monthly.
labors to show that the latter "delicate little
objects" are worthy of cur esteem and ad-
miration. lie denies that their bite is fatal
to any save insects. and extols their agility.
adroitncsS. sayacity and heroism as worthy
Of all praise In support OF these views he
tells the following curious story concerning a
heroic spider who captured Il snake. The af-
fair came off last summer, in the store of
Charles Cook. in the village Of Havana, Che
mung County. New York, and is attcstcd by
the Hon. y. b. Dickinson OF Corning. who
himself witnessed the phenomenon. as did
more than hundred other persons"
An ordinary looking spider Of dark col
or, its body not larger than that ola common
houscilv. had taken up his residence. it ap-
pears. on the under side Of shelf beneath
the counter of Nr. Cooks store. What may
We suppose was the surprise and constcrna-
ton OF this little animal on discovering a
snake about 4 foo, long. selecting for its abode
the floor underneath. only two or three spans
distant from its nest 1t was common six
snake. which. perhaps. had been brought into
the store unseen in a quantity Of >aw,i,i>
with which the !.oor had been recently "car-
prtcI." Iho spider WAS We! aware 10 doubt,
that it would inevitably fall prey to this
horIid monster the first time It should incau-
tiou>ly venture within lis reach We >hould
expect tha, 70 avoid such tri.httul doom i,
would t;}r>akc its present abode and seek a
more secure retreat elsewhere. But It is not
improbable thai brood of lis eggs or Young
was >ccrctcd near the spot. which the parent
torc>Iw would fall !; prey to this monster if
they We're abandoned bv their natural guar
dian and protector. We can conceive of no
other motive which should have induced the
spider so pertlnaclou>ly to rcmrin and defend
that particular spot at the imminent risk of
her own life. when she could have 50 easily
fled and established herself in some secure
corner elsewhere
But how. We NAV we'll ask. was it possible
for such weak. tender little creature to com
bat >ucl! powerful. ma:l-clad giant What
power has she to do anything which coul!
subject the monster to even the slightest in
CON, cncr1r or nolcSt,tiono Her ordinary
resort. that of lettering and binding her vic
tim bvthrow; ing her threads Of cobwcb around
i. it i, PLAIN, would be of 10 more avail here
than the cords upon the limbs of the unshorn
'""'l'>oi'' N""', ''''' 'i'' 'r'">''''le" ' h'oue
o' ' '''''A was "s,'I>s' nv" u'1 sle sc4u,re
'i'' N''o"i i'I''' anu s'S"'"! 'eq"lSi'e i'i oe-
,'''''''' = ',t:." ".N"''.i ~ .lle .'s'
IN I'i,'G wa ~ - "''.2 "i'n ~. s"u'1.'e
,'" :. .:,l, .'' ~ "'1' ,, IA ''"' t'a
1t 1t ~: NV" "'s >'i' 'u'' 10 pefrrN' {
.i'''' - '' -, f'"'' ~ "'.' iooP o' '.e'
az 49,, " '''I'' '''', .'',.'n, ':!i 'a' "eS'''
- ''i' - ~ ''-' IA q w.! T.
! n' '..i, =" i.'''' ''.'''
''"' .'''> l',> - anu
'',r-' ~ '.'i '"'' ,."' "o"'' >i''
c'h'. -''"",i'; moist mn up Ion! uNc moor
,'''s ''>;''.'i 'n:i.''7 III; ''i ny III" .',N u''
-'I "'.' 1:,. .'' "', ''' ''"' WV" ''i'S
'',''> ''' VIII
,I''' AVA '''' '-'c ''.'' 'Ns'''ts %
I''i'"i'> III 1'e' P""'i''S IONS Se'e,''s '''',
"L''S"'l> m >''A l'.'o ".ic[ II. lI>iS 'ii'''ci IN"
VINO ',.', >s '.''' ~ '''' f''',i''s "'' eA'c"-
lon 'i '"'s >.'l''nu'"s acil''N'm'ht' 'hrrr
va. i''' i,.' 'et'io"-n.' ~, reasoning cafel"l
"'I-'i'II q al 'nr ''i':'"''l'S ana dangers
"''u oi'" F'II> P''r" III ''i' m,'' "i '!iS
'''''' ''r','''' ''.''' >' "'>>'>>," '' ''iils |"
via, ''' ".''''''"h III Si'"''' ''i
A'''I>' "a Lax '' Il '"T' "'Si''' Greer
'''" '''' ','''' '''I' "'''" i '"'''''''l'E
H"pi - oO'''' 'i''' S"'''h '''eSe io"Vf All
=" N:,'' ".'-'''t '''r >l''''' was acne IN tnT
"'>' u IN "''''N ~ '''"''!p''>h "''a' IL ui'
We can "'''! .'I!I'''F'' aS i's WORK was not
',,' 'I '''o,' '''''. "'' "i''' ',i'" W,
I.'. ~ i'' LI i'''' "'I' 'I''''N'I men 1t
5 o Ill., nr, ''" l''t t,an, ,o'p 'i@"''n n; .'s
,,m.I ' '''l' Wv w. VI, ~, '..' i" d
,''''.'u "i'" az" ~ anu "'''''i-
' '1 ~: L''''o' >'. VI 'H' >'''l'' "",''o! 'h'
,'' ''., '' Was "'''" II up '''"' '"o
~, ,,'''I' '''1 '"' ~ >''''Ar was ''io'
'l'7 81 1'' '''ln ''o",'' il'''>,''i' III Il CIR
'' ~ ',' ~ - ''> % ''i'', ""''I' ,i'". "l'"'y
','': 't, ~, ~ "'"' ~ '''I nopf' ''
Nv '''' T.'.' ,''' IT.
'o' '',':. p'I' 'N"i1liS ''' "o'' III '''' sue
''>> 'i ~ 'N 'Nl'''''."''''ii was no" sure DC
% .Ia '''' ''',' ','''!
I;,,- ,h.roh, Nv J,,;,nnal 'I ~ =" i''t >''In ,
,laaJ n,.l, y, .I,;a,' 'u''.' ~. ''' ~ ."e
t;~htIv Jrawn rcv,tnJ ,hn ho,J , 81 ". s"aI D,,.
nr,I,,.l1, ,nnrn L Wv '' '''e ''''>'
I,''.''.l' n'. - '.'''> "''' '''o'' rc,
:, nnrf,rr,arcc i ,n+ r., I La ,iI ''" UI ,,'' .:
w,s IN tho ,rt of r,,,,;r.r ,1,n,n ~ ,h.a,l ~ ..
,hr oon the r'r w;j ncrc";x. 'i,' =, ,,'"" ,. "
>hIc for the snaIr BY ln,,,;n his b"aJ I ,rr,; r,
callv inward, 10 >rap and seize thc snJrr j.,
Ii, mouth. This ha.l no donLt been rrnca,.
cd}, ATTEMPTED IN the earlier mar, Of ,hr con.
tiic; but Instead Of catching the sn;,l,r his