The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1880-07-16
ny and spIder-The Tables Turned.

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An old subscriber in Australia send 8
TO the Gtntleman's Magazine the follow
ing, Australians the land Of contrariety
IN regard to animal and vegetable lite
-0eh as black swans. the duck-mol e,
Dish which climb trees. cherries wish
the stone outside. and verita Bile wooden
pears!--but one fact rcga ding spiders
and fiies is equally strange, for here
there Is q ny which catches spiders.
He Is q viry. energetic. hard looking
customer; body longish and narrow
color. literally half-mourning, and
about three-quarters Of an inch long;
he builds clay nest for his larvae. gen.
orally inside locks. under veranda
caves. or even In cracks of woodwork,
md sometimes In the folds of curtains
or clothes. In one case, while staying
nj q friends house about twenty miles
from Sidney, I left nay waterproof coat
hanging untouched for about fosr days,
and en- taking IL down there was nest
nearly built In one Of the folds, Of about
the size OF once little finger and three
or four inches IN length. On replacing
the coat and leaving It for another few
days, and then examining Il, the nest
was Finished it had three oompa TT
ments, with one little white grub In
each and for its food several small
green spiders. not then absolutely dead.
but apparently In a state OF coma.
These spiders were evidently taken out
Of the orange orchard, ms there were
plenty .of the same kind alive about
the trees; but last week, while up In the
mountains, ! watched one Of the flies
carrying of . black house-spider quite
as big as itaf; and during the course
Of the day saw him three separate times,
and ON each occasion with large
spider. could not find the nest; but
the farmer tells NJ that he has OCCASION
ally done 90 and found as many as
twenty good>si.ed spiders of various
kinds. all apparently dead, but not de-
eayed. and generally FIVE or'six larvm
Of the fly.
There Is also a large spider which
actually catches small birds occasion.
ally, and kills and devotirs theml He
b Hire wasp In color body. shape and
size Of small hazel nut; legs. long and
wiry; and he siso looks q hard-skinned
customer. The web 10 always double
ono sb0ut half rs large agsin as the
ether. and made OF such strong yell
lowish aber that, If accidentally walk
ing Into II. you feel sensible stoppage
Of your way for the moment. One bird
the wreck Of which / myself saw left
n tie web--was rather smaller than
the English wren, and the web was
stroSs enough 10 stand all its struggles,
although little broken here and tl.ers,
~ regards siss Of some spiders. We
have : dsf'bodted. gray-colored ont
here which builds NO web. but livel
under bark OF dead trees, behind boards,
sto.. the body Il which IL about the sixs
Of shilling and mot much thicker, but
sha legs Of which are quite - long n
ne fingers Of an ordinary sized hand
md tbs whole spread Of the brute Il
about hands breadth. THIS Is fcr
me fullest sized ones; butythe common
run cfthem are i've OF ak inches across,
and the style In which they pouncs
npoA and double up the smaller cock.
roschss e what our Yankee cousins
wsgA sp - eaHiios.'