, 1881-09-11

u IKE 1-HttHF " LIZ tHtt13o 1'4ohHt.
CHICAGO. Sept. W,-Onc OF the comMoncst
spiders the l'rairies Is large black md yell
low cpcira. The eply is regularly marked With
yellow OH scIyctr, black ground. The bead
and trunk are fiat. and Of a lirty-wAite color.
The legs are very long, brown near tho body.
bur becoming quite black ut tho ends. This
hundsu:,le fellow is very abundant wherever
there arc tall weeds. lie hangs bis stroc:, gfD-
1uttrical web between TWO bltton-snnkc ropts,
Or some golden -rUtls. anChtrlnE it To the right
and lett by stout guys. From the central point
there is nSs.ay Il z.S1a@ strip nf White lines all
inch or two long. running down toward tho hot
iolu Ut the web Here he takes his position, aud
waits for his breakfast, which soon colues in the
shupe ri a fAt ,.rasshopper. 1t would seem us
though such Il heavy creature could e:slS e5-
cape, but he cannot, fun the spider darts upon
him instantly, and throwing bis feet arountt tho
victims i1cad. touches hls BUICK with hts spiu-
EcTct. and ribbon OF silk III eighth Of an inch
wide begins 10 tc drawn out. 1t Is white aud
tiri,. a,ld ot uniform w1G:h everywhere. lit less
than half Il minutc the Srasshopprr is sacked,
and hung up for future use lie iot>kS exactly
like Il chysTioii ws1h y silky white skin. 10 keep
him ruect the spider bites him hctweru the head
and the trunk, in some especially vulnerable:
place known to himself. II is always on tho top
of the ts}dy-
The number Of grasshoppers disposed OF in
ono day Is itidcnit. have seen him trap up
und feed of three III intervals Of 1ril!ng win Il
tat y two and eiflsa=c butterfly. When
he has had enough ut II dish, lie cuts tho cords
that hoIi it, and lets it drop. picks up the brukc
wet, shakes it gently, and waits for ano:her
victim.
which b: dcp'siss his eggs. 1t is sometimes an
intA And ,sa"rter lenr. and over two inches
round, ttaSS->aaucd, with ! still papery en-
v1o nl and 'dx he % ,Sa nf 3arG rs rayf1; w.{h :
timing Of suffer and fighter material, with
L shorier neck which is closed w';n
Il trAp-tnor o1 tinc iSht-broWn SILK. i;1ldc fast
q t,51r tttss + | Ike
place when rc.:lse,t. 1'1s!,ls. this snrer Is the
loose silk, cn' cl"n'llE 1,las' Of brsnt orause-
col>re1 .,GS. The trap-ttsaof Is Hbut aS thick r.:
.Eis sIlatn lining Of the inner rotp,l 50 HAT L
uniform tcinpcr.ltr:, Is kept around tho .'S-s.
These cocnnlls arc l:;tf in al sorts II rs;trt5.
The mother takes Extraordinary pains IL p11t
them wnrr they will fs t1,it>,lr,.. Shr binds
thctll fast the fut5rtks ot weeds il she iwcis
nn the open prairie. b'!t ucar hnl,ses she: ''n'!s
dark angle tf walls i'll ot1thnlf'l-
inY$, whert. she LIES 4ictn with Ill l!lcS1r!''thr
web ot stout silk. with lines III every srreiiois-
Ii is difficult tt see haS size Keeps 'hc cucn'11
suspended while she is weaving it., aud h.,w unc
s:1,:tt body can furnish 50 lar-. !. ulantity ot
silk. | have never seen her spinning tho CO.
tl,t have fu,i;nl iarge anu U,,vfert one
Snlgy s1nHett in Il t',:l1t'r t}it was eulutf two
hnurS before Ii need ,i,1t take htr )nns il She
spins rapidly ;,s si'' docs When she COVERS the
Er;,sshnpptr. Eti11ntly she has tlsiiy AL
Unstable spitlnere1 that lhr',w OIL !, single
cord of many, Thousand Separate strands,
broad band t'f nl:.fy cords lying side by side.
''ch complicated cable Ut stvera! smaller
cords.
In Il light net ot silk the eg.-s are probably
lai and .ben gt,vr:cd with layer after layer Ut
silk, and the graceful rounded flash is hung s1D
Nuishe'l. mach more wonderful object ttl;tn
the coc',nn Of tho s!lk-wt,run. The worm spins
side first and gradually i,cl:s-cs t5clt III
slik,n h;ll, hui the spider hHs EuiJ her
wlth, The slender net until she cun Inclusc it
and seal II NJ.
have foui,,l cocoons pinned 1,urt t., walls, tut
they were ALWAYS TINT III ono iher,: were no
et.=s ut iii, and in f.le o;Ner hu1 th.cc, Tho
e.s4.s were The butrlS. having f.ih.n f:hn the
tsf3ts tFn
WAS that tho Sitlt.E .i Hsst discovered her ss,
bnI w,::s: ',1 with ner work. finishing carefully
the empty flask.
If any nf !ha sofGars prou't. II silk that
he mtnHtHciUrGl iutn thr,ir}. this cp1JalnDu
pr:iri': speE IL the wt!u can. tnrnS4 it
The amount Of silk int e.ten ,,:nnn il nirly half
rs Inut! il, perfect COCOON Of the f}utni1rx.
Perhaps !iadatn Eueira will yet be housed ansi
Fed Tor tho sake Uf ter six. kiTYDlD.