Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1874-08-13
A SPIDERS APPETITE.

LII Order TO test WnaC Spluer cOulu 10 III
the way of eating, we arose about daybreak
one morning, to supply his fine web with a
fly. At first, however, the spider did not
come from his retreat; so we peeped among
the leaves, and there discovered that an ear
wig had been caught, and was now being
feasted on. The spider left the earwig,
rolled up the fly, and at once returned to the
first course. This was at halfpast five A. NJ,
in September. At seven A. NJ, the earwig
had been demolished, and the spider, after
resting awhile, and probably enjoying nap,
came down for the fly, which he had finished
at nine A. NJ A little after nine we sup
piled him with daddy.long-legs which was
eaten by noon. At one o'clock, a blowAy was
greedily seized, and an appetite no worse for
his previous indulgence, he commenced on the
blowfy. During the day, and toward the
evening, a great many small green flies, or
what are popularity termed midges, had been
caught in the web. Of these, we counted one
hundred and twenty, all dead, and fast priso-
ners in the spiders net. Soon after dark, pro-
vided with lantern, we went to examine
whether the spider was suffering at all from
indigestion, or in any other way from his pre-
vious meals; instead, however, of being thus
affected, he was employed in rolling up to-
gether the various little green midges, which
he then took to his retreat and ate. This pro-
cess he repeated, carrying up the lots in little
detachments, until the whole web was eaten ;
for the web and its contents were bundled up
together A slight rest of about an hour was
followed by the most industrious web making
process, and before daybreak, another web
was ready to be used in the same way. Ia
king the relative size Of the spider and of the
creatures it ate, and applying this to a man, it
would be some what as follows: At day ybreak k,
small alligator was eaten at seven A. NJ,
a young camelopard; at one CLOCK, a sheep ;
and during the night, one hundred and twen-
ty larks. This, we believe, would be very
fair allowance for one man during twenty-four
hours and, could we find one gifted with such
an appetite and such digestion, we can read
lily comprehend how he might spin five miles
of web without killing himself, provided he
possessed the necessary machinery.-Enghsh
Paper.
TRIPLES TRFLEs !-"Don't," said the
pony to the flies and he shook his head and
ashed his tale about, and away they oil
flew.
"Don't, I say" he cried again, moving to
another place where he hoped he should lose
them. And so he did for minute or two,
but no longer. There they were-in his eyes,
on his nose, at his ears, and all over him.
If he could have eaten them all he wonld,
or kicked them into the next county he would,
or galloped them out of the world he would !;
but there was no doing anything with them.
AS he moved, they moved and every time he
attempted to Craze, they settled themselves on
him, or buzzed in a cloud round his head, as
if they had come by invitation"
"Oh dear !' he sighed at last, ''what is to be
done? can bear my masters whip and
spur; 1 can stand my being half worked to
death over the country and with the heavy
cart-those are evils make up my mind to ;
and if that yelping cur comes behind me |
can give him reception that sends him fly
ing but as to these torments, contemplate as
they are-too small to be met efectually Il
verify believe they'll be the death of me"
All! so it is in human life as in pony life.
Great trials can often be bravely borne, when
petty annoyances, by their number and per-
tinacity, vex and wear the soul.