Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1878-09-06
Habits of the Spider.

l. WOnQer II any OF Lno young r6aQerS
of the Observer know how ingenious a
creature the spider is. Even though by
instinct, as it were, we shrink from con,
tact with it, let us see if we cannot find
something of interest in its mode of life
and the lesson it teaches, that shall, in
some measure, overcome the feelings we
have hitherto entertained. Everything
that God has made is interesting to
careful observer, and the often-despised
little creature is we'll worth noticing.
Would you imagine that the spider is
furnished with eight crooked legs, two
arms, six or eight eyes, and the head
with two claws or feelers? A little be-
low the point of the claw there is small
hole, through which the insect emits q
poison; though really harmless to us, it
is powerful enough to destroy flies and
other small insects. The spider is sup
piled within its body with a glutinous
substance which it uses for the purpose
of making it's web. 1t spins this glue
into a fine thread, which it fastens upon
some object, and then strains it across
to some other point, doubling and twist
ing it until it makes the thread strong
enough for it's purpose. It is said that
the thread spun by the smallest species
of these insects is so small that four
millions of them put together would not
be larger than one of the hairs on your
head Some writer gives the following
description of this wonderful spinning
machine: Son the under side of the
spiders body are four or six little points,
no larger than the point of pin. These
are the places where the silk is pre-
pared. When the spider wishes to spin
thread, it presses these points with
one of it's legs, and there appears, not
one, but thousand threads, of such
fineness that it is only when all are
united that they become visible to the
naked eye. Thus the tiny rope of the
spider is composed of four, five or six
thousand silken threads"
As soon as the spider has completed
it's web, it's care is to seize and secure
whatever insect happens to be caught in
it's meshes. These victims are to be the
spiders food, and it often remains for
weeks and even months, upon the look
out without even catching a single fly.
have sometimes watched large spider
as he was engaged in securing his prey.
He seems to know, in whatever part of
the web he may be, when fly or other
| insect strikes the web. In NONE Mt he
darts at the fly and secures it firmly by
spinning long thread, which he winds
round and round his victim, so that it is
impossible to get away. The spider has
sort of sting in his fore feet with which
he strikes the insect in his web and
poisons him to death. This is the rea-
son why one often sees such hard strug-
giles and apparently great pain when an
insect is secured.
Just think of this little weaver, work
ing without compass or line of any sort,
and yet as accurately as if he had all
the implements in the world to work
with. Oftentimes, to test the strength
of his line, he pulls at it with great vigor
not only this, but he gives it the weight
of his whole body as test, swinging to
and fro upon the thread like the pendu-
lum of clock. I told you he had nc
measure, but in this am wrong, for he
uses his body to determine the distances,
and the proportion of the web depends
upon the size of the spider. Did you
ever notice how accurate the distances oi
these wheel-like spokes and meshes were
And shall we not remember what labor
this must have been when we are dis.
posed to destroy the work of a spiders
| lifetime? We all know how perserver.
ingly it sets about to repair the loss, il
it is thus robbed. It is true that il
seems much fonder of mending than oi
making, as it has but q certain quantity
of glutinous matter, which, when ex
hausted, nothing can renew. An ole
spider is frequently at loss for home
on this account. It hunts about for the
web of another spider younger and weak
er than itself. AS soon as it has sue
ceeded in it's search, it drives the young
one out, and takes possession.
But the most curious species of the
spider is the water-spider. This crea
ture builds its nest under water. HI
first spins threads, which he fastens tC
some leaves of plants which grow in {
still pool, at the same time he weavel
for himself ball or cocoon, made tigh
by being covered with gummy sub
stance which comes from his body. Thil
apartment is about half as large as {
pigeons egg, and has an opening in i
from beneath. Having covered his owl
body in part with this gum, he comes *
the surface of the water with littl'
air-bag, and draws in as much air as tn,
bag will hold. Then he dives down an(
empties the air in the bag into the co
coon. This process he continues unit
he Alls the cocoon with AR and the wate