The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-09-01
The Garden Spider.

I
think those of my young friends who
have been in the garden on fine Autumn
morning, pust have noticed the beautiful
web Of the garden spider, like fairy
wheel which the early frost has studded
all over with diamonds, making far more
attractiye-looking trap than that Of her
homely, cousin, the house spider.
A little examination will show you that
the two webs are made in a very different
way; for whilst the house spider throws
her threads loosely and irregularly together,
the garden spider arranges hers in lines
and circles at carefully measured distsn-
ces, just as if she held in her wonderful
hands tiny pair Of invisible compasses.
dare say some of you boys, who are
just beginning to learn Euclid, aud have
found out how difficult it is to draw cir.
eles, would be glad if our little friend
could impart to you her power of making
them SO perfectly; for she has earned for
herself the name of the Geometrical spider.
If you watch her at work, you will see
that she begins by pressing her spinnerets
against the branch of some shrub till she
draws out long silky line, which the
wind soon watts TO another branch, where
it is fastened by the gum at the end Of il;
then, like the house spider, she walks over
IL again and again, each time adding a
thread, till it becomes strong cord; then
she throws out another and another, till
the framework of her web is complete. The
shape Of this framework she leaves to the
fancy of the wind, which sometimes blows
the threads so as to form triangle, but
more generally an irregular four-sided
figure.
In the middle of the outside cords the
little whcelright begins her work, by plac-
ing there drop of the gummy fluid from
her spinnerets, which she draws out into
a straight thread, at the end of which she
lets herself down till she reaches lower
branch, where she fastens it. This done,
she runs back again up the little ladder,
and spins till the outside cord is reached
again. Walking along the edge for some
little distance, she drops some gum, and
continues her course, spinning her threads
all the time. As she goes on, she every
now and then gives the line a little push
with her hind legs, to prevent its getting
entangled with the cords of the frame,
work. When she gets opposite the place
where she began to spin, she gives the
long struggling thread hard jerk, which
pulls it tight across the first line.
Running to the point where the two
lines cross one another, the little creature
sends on to the outer lines Of the web the
spokes Of her delicate wheel In less time
than it takes you to read about it, she has
made all these spokes, carefully pulling
each to see if it is firm; and now begins
the work of making those beautiful circles
which you often see. A little drop of gum
fastens the circle to each of the lines, and
the spider also takes care to leave some
among the threads of the web, to catch
the feet of the flies and other insects who
enter her trap. When all is finished to
her satisfaction, the busy worker bites out
the piece in the centre Of the web, where
all the lines have met; and seating herself
there, she rests from her work and watches
for herprey.