The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1875-05-06
About Spiders.

habits as the common garden spider
(Epe.ra diadema). Fixing her dwelling
between the branches of the smaller
bushesand shrubs, or between the rail-
ings of the garden, or, better still, in a
sly corner in front of some convenient
window, she affords easier opportunities
for daily observation than any other va.
riety. She is not at all particular which
side of the window is selected, as she
seems to thrive equally well whether in
side OF out, only losing, when inside
that brightness of color which distin
guish the open-air dweller. Construct,
ing beautifully-formed circular or, as
it is sometimes called, geometric, net
across pane of glass, her every move
ment can be studied with advantage.
From the center of the work run radiat-
ing lines like the spokes of wheel, at
tached at the outside end to long and
much stronger lines, usually OF trlangu-
lar shape, stretching from one side OF
the woodwork of the pane to the other.
These radiating lines are again crossed
by another set of concentric circular
threads, at gradually-widening intervals,
making, altogether, when finished, a
piece of work OF more delicate texture
than any dainty lady's embroidery. So
wonderfully fine, indeed, are the mate
rials of which it is made, that thread
only just visible to the naked eye has
been proved, by some of the best etomol-
ogists, to have been spun out of a thou
sand strands issuing together from the
spiders spinnerets and tubes, the COM
paratively coarse threads of the house
spider containing about 400 united
strands. From the center of the web of
the garden-spider to her hiding place, in
one of the upper corners Of the window
pane, runs strong, cord-like gangway
or passage, only connected with the main
work in the middle. With her feet rest
ing on one end OF this connecting rope
she feels the slightest vibration of the
net when a fly is caught, rushes to the
center, feels with her feet on which of
the strands the fly is entangled, and
darts at once to the place, and soon fin
ishes her victim. The spider is evident
ly guided TO her prey more By touch than
sight.
The spiders touch, how exquisitely ine
Feels at each thread, and lives along the line.
Unlike the common house spider
(Araned d0meSticd), which rushes straight
at her prey and drags it at once in her
mouth into her den, to be killed and
eaten in darkness, the geometric spider,
even if fly be caught near her hiding
place, runs first to the center to discover
the whereabouts Of her prey. Unlike the
house spider, too, she kills the fly on the
web where it is caught, the rapid death
of the victim showing the virulence of
the SPIDERS poison which is distilled into
the wound through hollow fangs like
those of serpent. If the fly be a small
one-say nudge and lies perfectly
still when caught, the spider will feel all
the strands in the center round and
round two or three times before finding
on which part of the net the little tit-bit
lies. When wasp is caught, if the
spider cannot see her way to safe blow,
she will either weave her enemy in a
stronger mesh and wait till the wasp is
almost dead from exhaustion, or, if her
network be in danger OF being all broken
up by such strong intruder, she will
cut the threads that hold it and~let her
dangerous customer go. There is little
black fly, shaped like an ant, but smaller
often caught in one of these circular
nets, which frequently escapes by wrig-
Cling itself clear Whether it is fur
nished with some sharp weapon of de-
Tense, or has the power some beetles are
well known to possess, of emitting a
pungent essence against its enemies
would be difficult to determine; but
the spider soon beats retreat
when she finds she has caught
Tartar, and either allows it to
wriggle itself free or waits at a conYen
lent distance until the fly is completely
exhausted by its struggles. Unless the
fly killed on the open web be very
small one, the garden spider does not
carry her prey to her den in her mouth
sling, and runs to her lair with her vic,
tim hanging down behind her cleverly
preventing the loosely-hung bundle from
getting entangled on the way Deposit
ing the booty at the entrance of her tun.
nel-shaped home, she quietly enjoys hel
meal, sucks the body dry, usually re-
moving all traces of her recent slaughter
When another spider appears upon the
scene, however, her demeanor is very
different. Gathering as many strands OF
her web as possible in her saw-like claws
which, when magnified, look proper.
tionately much more formidable than
those of lion-she gives them violent
shake, when the intruder generally
"cuts" and runs. If the invader declines
to move on when thus warned, but shows
fight instead, it is curious to mark the
cautious way they approach each other,
evidently conscious the fight means death
to one or both. Spreading out their legs
on each side, as if to guard against a
side attack, and reaching as far as pos
sible with their fore legs, they open wide
their jaws, and look very formidable in
deed, each presenting to the other a
"horrid front" 1t is duel in which the
one that can plant the first well-directed
blow conduers. Once let the fangs of
the one be planted in the others body,
and the one seized will curl itself up and
quietly yield to an inevitable DOOM
1t is question if, in their personal en-
counters with each other, these cunning
creatures do not fight with a full knowl-
edge of how to use poisoned weapons in
dependently of their fangs. When APP
preaching one another for that final grippe
both seem to dread, they will stop, and
place in their mouths first one and then
the other claw of the long fore-leg, with
which it is part of their strategy to over
reach each other. For what purpose? Is
it to dip the claws in their poison bags or
glands, knowing that single scratch in
ficted on the body Of an adversary by a
poison-tipped weapon will eventually
prove fatal?
The spider is surely the very Ishmael
OF insects; from the time in early spring
when, bursting the yellow bag or cocoon
IN which the parent spider had deposited
her eggs, the young ones take their soli-
tary way through life, with their hands,
as it were, against every one, and every
ones hand against them. Even their
matrimonial alliances are formed with
unusual precautions, not altogether I'M
necessary when the bride, the larger of