The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-04-13

, rs they are curious in their habits and general
economy. Most of them have six eyes on each
small nipple-like papillc. One set are teles-
copc, while the other six are microscopic.
Next, spiders are right-handed, working more
adroitly with the right claw than the left, in
| extending tho cords of web. The orifices
through which the shy fluid is forced out at
will, that instantly hardens into an elastic
thread, vary in mum Der in different families of
| spiders. In some of them quite q number of
threads unite in the spinning process to make
| q streng line. Those minute openings are ter
mini of ducts from the bags of which web ma
| terial is secreted. All their movements in
weaving and arranging fy-trap indicate cal
culation, and are therefore q step quite beyond
blind instinct. An examination of q broken
cord--mending it and seeking the best point
| for an attachment to keep the web tense In all
directions, certainly exhibits thought. Their
manner of approaching entapgled game,
| curing each limb of the prisoner artistically,
binding them resistance can be offered
that would be injurious to themselves before
| sayagely eating into their vitas, is a marvel
GUS proof of the elements of mind far superior
to most of the qnadrupeds, and yet spiders are
without a brain! Nothing is moro surprising
in the natural history of this very common.
bnt poorly understood insect, thnn the terocity
| of the female toward the NJ lie, which sbe
pounces upou when the fertilization of the eggs
has been secured, and rarely fails of killing
him instsnter, and then feasts deliberately on
the mangled carcass. Without spiders, which
su bserve the same important purpose on land
that sharks do in the ocean, vegetation would
hardly survive tho unrestraiued depredatons
OF millions of vegetable-eating insects BY
the silent warfare of spiders upon them their
too great multiplication is regulated 50 that q
balance of power is maintained IN nature, es-
sential to the preservation of order without
the extinction of any. Spiders, therefore, hum
BILE as they are in the scale of being, are just
as important to the comfort of man as many
higher orders that seem to have more promi-
nent claim to distinction.
Americans have been usually credited with
more than the average amount of shrewduess,
yet it is doubtful if there exists any other peo
pie similarly advanced i'll civilization, which
sacrifices moro victims on tue altar of credu-
lily. We bite at any glitterng hook, although
baited with nothing moro substantial than Il
promise. Shares in impossible enterprises,
stock in gold and silver mines that exist only
on paper, and in diamond mines with still
more shadowy foundation, city" lots of scarce
ly Liliputan size days journey from civiliza-
ton, tickets in gift concerts and in lottery
libraries, patent medicines and poisonous cos
-metics, bogus jewelfy and bogus money, all
find a ready sale among us. IL would seem
if the experience of those who have gone be-
FORE who have proved to their sorrow the
worthlessness of all such speculatons, would
have some effect on those tempted to follow
their example; but there appears to be
diminutiOn i'll the number OF those anxious to
invest in the chances of securing fortune
without labor. One of the most peculiar man
ifestations of this American idiosyncrasy, is
the belief prevalent IN a number of families of
the existence in England of vast estates, ard
of vaster sums in pounds sterling, the lawful
Inheritance of which, in default of heirs on
the other side of the water, now vests in them.
There arc shrewd lawyers who take advantage
of this weakness. and mako y living by inv0s-
tigatiDg such claims. Tho modns opcrdndi is
very simple: Suppose that the property is left
by the Brown family. 1t is assumed that the
hership must be in some one of the name in
this country. The matter is advertised, every
Brown is hattered with the hope that the claim
may be substantiated; q family meeting is
called, committee appointed, money sub
scribed, and the fortunate lawyer is sent abroad
tu study the family geneSlogy, aud to inveSti
gate the question in its legal aspects. If he is
shrewd enough he can feed the vanity and
cupidiry of the family with glowing promises
of it. All the Browns believe that they on
tho point of grasping fortune, and subscribo
freely; ard SO the matter runs on from year to
apOcryphal genealOgy and a gorgeous coat-Of
arms, which, perhaps, some of them consider
compensation enough--IPptstoH.