Pioche daily record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1872-1876, 1876-06-28
A Spider. Catches Mouse !,

The New Orleans papers tell a wonder
iul story OF little spider which captured
and carried off mouse. The astonish-
ing little insect, the Picayune says, is of
the black species, and very small, a fact
that renders the feat which it now per-
forms the more marvellous. The mouse
was accustomed, when on a predatory
excursion, to emerge from hole under
the bench where the spider dwells, and
pass into the carpenter-shop, where the
bench stands. The ent+rprising spider.
which had. no doubt, watched for a long
time the movements, laid trap for the
unsuspecting young mouse, and Monday
morning, when it started out on its daily
rounds, the little spider. who was on the
lookout. frightened the thread which she
had prepared for her victim, whose hind
legs had been entangled. in them as it
passed out OF the hole, and soon secured
it. Immediately after the legs had been
caught, the spider fastened another
thread to the mouse's tail, and after sew.
eral hours constant work, succeeded in
raising her prey's headquarters, and
continued so doing till the tip of the
mouse's nose only touched the floor.
Having thus rendered it helpless the lit
tie spider industriously set to work multi
plying its fastenings. After few more
hours labor the mouse was raised one
inch from the floor, the spider working
as If with pully In its terrible contor-
tons to release itself, the mouse man.
aged to sever the fastenings around its
hind legs, but so strong were the threads
which suspended it in the air, and 80 &C.
curely we're they attached to its tail that
all efforts to break them proved fruitess.
MIR. Gross, taking great interest in the
proceedings, left the spider und,sturbed,
and during almost the whole of Monday
night. with several friends, watched its
workings attentively. The little insect
after taking her position on her victim 8
tail. commenced manipulating the
threads and working. Gradually could
the astonished, witnesses of this wonderful
feat see the mouse creep up, and the
threads descending from their fastenings
under the corner of the bench to the
mouse's tail increased in number, and
during. the twsnty.iour hours ending
yesterday evening the threads had so in
creased that 1t became impossible to
count them, and the mouse, which was
still alive, though quite weakened, had
been raised from one to three and half
inches from the floor. The spider, dur.
ing the whole time of its work, sat on the
mouse's tail. only leaving it's position at
long intervals. when he would cautious.
ly creep down the tail to it's roots, and
there feed upon the blood of the mouse.
Then, resuming its position on tie end
OF the tail. 1t would again begin its work.
This nnheard-of-capt of mouse by
30 small an insect, and its ingenious
manner of elevatinR it, has excited the
wonder and admiration of thousands of
visitors. among who may be mentioned
several scientific men and phyaicians,
who assembled in large crowds at Mr..
Gross's carpsnter-shop to witness the
progress OF the gigantic task which the
little spider has undertaken. and is sue.
cessfully bringing to an issue. Mr..
Gross will leave them undisturbed and
carefully watch the result, as every one
is anxious to see what the spider will do
with its captive after il dies, and how
far 1t will elevate il.