The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-11-02

from their contiding friends are buried,
however, beyond all hope of resurrection.
How A SPIDER CAPTURED PorATo Bee
TLE.-I wish to place on record with you
an incident which came under my obser-
vation, and which almost equals the ac-
count OF a spider raising snake in, its web,
which you published some time ago. | was
sitting on my back porch one day this sum-
mer, when | observed potato bug slowly
approaching along the floor. Anxious to
annihilate as many as possible OF these
pests | kept my eye on him until he
should come within reach, when | could
put my foot on him. While watch
ing in this way l noticed
pretty good sized spider approach
ing the bug. At a little distance he stopped
to survey his contemplated victim, and
then, with mind seemingly determined as
to what course to pursue, ran around on
the opposite side of the bug, and with all
apparent nip at him turned the bug from
his course and toward corner where !
noticed the spider had web some four or
more inches from the floor. The bug had
no inclination to go in that direction, but
he was closely driven by the spider which
ran first to one side and then the other, ex-
actly like a shepherd dog driving a sheel,
hurryng his victim up with an occasional
nip" or bite at his side. All this was
something new to me in the habits and
ways of the spider, and l watched with
intense interest to see what the result
would be.
When the bug had been driven into the
corner at point directly under the web
the spider changed tactics, and made a
series of circles rapidly around the bug
first in one direction and then in another,
occasionally taking run up into the web.
While | was unable to see the delicate
thread spun by the spider, saw that the
bugs legs soon became so enangled that he
could not make any headwaE but could
only struggle around on a limited latitude,
which became more and more limited as
the spider untiringly continued his work.
Being compelled to leave at this moment,
returned again in about half an hour. l
then found the bug turned on his back and
his feet apparently quite firmly bound. He
was quite motionless and | thought was
dead, but he soon showed signs of life by
vigorously kicking, which nearly released
him.
The spider had been running up and
down at different points, but quickly left
that work, and sliding down 10 the bug
manner that the bug gave few spasmodic
kicks and seemed TO give up the ghost. The
spider then returned to his work of attach-
ing lines to the bug and the web. They
were soon so numerous that | could see
them; besides, the light had become more
favorable The regularity OF the lines
formed a sort of funnel, diverging as they
did from the bug TO the outer parts of the
web above.
After time the spider seemed to have
lines enough attached, and began the new
work of shortening each line, as appeared
He passed from line to line many times
over, stopping an instant at each. / was
again called away at this juncture, and did
not see the curiosity again until the next
day. The bug was then elevated over an
inch above the floor, and the third day he
was safely in the center of the web, some
five inches from the floor, and all the tackle
employed in hosting was completely
cleared away. In the web were the
carcasses of two other potato bugs
which | had no doubt We're caught in
like manner, though they may have
crawled up the wall into the web. l can
not name the variety of the spider, but it
is very common one, of rather good size
taken altogether, but small as compared
with the bug. The spider could not have
weighed one-eighth as much as the bug; his
body was long and slender, with long, slen-
der legs, very ordinary species of house
spider (of brown COLOR and called large
spider on account of his long legs.
This may be very common habit of the
spider, running out and driving in game to
a place where it can be secured and hoisted,
but never heard of the like before.-[R. b.
'rDllar n Scientific maripaD