Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-05-06

60 floating on the current, with the gauzy
thread cleaning in the autumn sun.
Some entomologists affirm that this mvs
terious little animal, that has so long
been puzzle to them, has the power of
shooting out its thread toward any OBJ
ject it pleases. 1t is hardly possible
however, that such an impalpable, filmv
substance, so exceedingly fine as to be
quite invisible except when flashing in
the sunshine. can do otherwise than 90
with the prevalent current of air.
Though they are occasionally met with
during the summer, it is only toward the
end of autumn that they appear at ali
numerous. Whence come they in such
immense numbers some years, compared
with others, covering our fields and
lawns at dewy eve with an invisible net
work, which the morning sun transforms
into brilliant veil, clothing the earth as
with garment of silvery gauze, studded
with liquid gers, until the dew evapo-
rates and leaves them again at liberty to
resume their aerial flights?
DCSluS Vic NdIlSbltS d1IedON uOtlC6u
there are other wanderers that might be
studied with both pleasure and profit.
There is, for instance, the long-legged
shepherd spider, that may be seen at any
time in summer, particularly in the hay
field, always apparently in a desperate
hurry to be in time either for feast or
fray. When that blessed millennium ar
rives when the lion shall lie down with
the lamb, the shepherd spider and our old
friend, daddy-long- legs, will, no doubt,
make capital pair, and, forgetting their
previous mortal feud, will live long to-
gether and be, as the story books say,
happy ever after" All our native
spiders are comparatively harmless to
man, except Ole found occasionally in
cellars, which causes a painful swelling
by its bite, though this has been doubted
by some careful observers. In some
| tropical countries, however, the bites of
certain large spiders are considered very
painful, if not dangerous; and Nine.
Marian's pathetic picture of large
spider killing humming bird, dragged
from its nest, often doubted, has been
confirmed by later travellers. Alas, poor
humming-b bird! In danger of extermina-
ton, not from bird or beast of prey, but
from the dictates of heartless fashion,
by which thy joyous life is sacrificed,
that thy bright little body may adorn my
lady's head-gea
Perhaps enough has been written
about spiders to induce some of our
readers to show little more considera-
ton toward these useful, but often per-
secuted, creatures. IF some of their
characteristics are calculated to inspire
aversion, they, at any rate, I'LL their al
loted part in the economy of nature.
| They assist materially with other
! destroyers-in keeping down hosts of
flies that would soon become intolerable
The fecundity of some species of flies is
so prodigious it has been computed that
three and their progeny would eat the
| carcass of horse sooner than a lion
would! Cobwebs, as they are called, may
be offensive to people of a tidy turn, but,
as Southey quantity remarks, " the more
spiders there were in the stables the less
would the horses suffer from flies" AS
the sluggard is commanded to go to the
ant, consider her ways and be wise," so,
! in considering the ways Of other tiny
beings, equally interesting, if not so
| popular, may we have wisdom enough to
profit by their lessons of patience, vigi-
lance and industry.-Chambers' Journal.