Morning journal and courier., 1883-02-10
An Insect Menagerie.
How Spiders are TenderIy Taken Care
 From the Philadelphia Press

An Insect Menag0rie.
 How Spiders are TenderIy Ia ken Care of
 From the Philadelphia Pressl
 Recently representative of the Press vis
 tied Mrs. Mary Treat, whose studies in natu l ral history have been from time to time re | corded in the columns of the monthly maga l zines and other periodicals. At present Mrs. l Treats observations are confined chiefly to | spiders, she and Rev. Dr. McCook of Phila delphia being the only persons in this coun. try who are making speciality of studying the habits of these little creatures. Calling 1 at her cottage in the suburbs of Vineland, | N. J., where she is costly 'tat home'' in a suite of sunny apartments which she occu- | pies alone, says the reporter, I found the | spider-lover-a cultured, refined delicate | little lady, whose hair. is slightly touched ! with gray-returning from morning spent | in an oak opening at short distance in the rear of the house. In this bit of woods it is I her habit, when the weather is fine, to devote ! portion of the early Iart of each day to taking observations of all sorts of homely 1 wood born things which live in the bark of I trees, crawl upon the ground, and burrow ] under decayed logs and dry leaves. After a pleasant apology for her serviceable dress and stout boots, was ushered into the study of the specialist. Books and papers, marked
 with the authors compliments" /" occupy the reading stand in the sunny bay window microscope is stationed ready for use |; bright woods, gathered leaves, souvenirs of an autumn journey in the north, adorn the walls, and small table placed at 8 sufficient distance from the window to allow easy pas sage around 1t, holds several large bouquets of more briliancy than beauty
 ''Those are not placed there to admire" she says, "but to entice some spider, out in search of building site. Several have set tied down to business already. Would you like to take peep at them in their domi- ciles ?" moving around the table with as much pride as though it was plush embroi- dered sunfower she was about to exhibit. There is one of my especial pets isn't he 2 beauty fS There he was-a brown, hairy, long legged fellow sitting with his knees doubled up, evidently waiting for some un- cautious visitor in the edible line to come along and supply him with meat dinner.
 ''How do they subsist now that fly time is over ?" asked.
 t'Oh, I forage for them," she answered. 'When the weather is cold they eat nothing. There is a colony of them now under that bell l-glass in the light they have gone into winter quarters Sometimes they keep tive the winter through without food but whenever days are sunny dinners are plenty, for throw open doors and windows, set out some growing things to make the room bright as possible, and the flies come buzzing in and l am able to harvest small crop. It is 8 poor day when my spiders and I together cannot lure few unwary victims into neat little trap. By moderate strategy make the capture and they put the prisoners to death"
 ''Is it true that they devour their kind?"
 Sometimes. The male is a henpecked fellow, and the female will eat him if she gets a chance. Occasionally mother spider kills some of her numerous progeny to feed her remaining ravenous brood of spiderlings. At one time I brought up an entire family in hnffla and hQVa m i6aQ ho<u i0fnr- esting found them. The babies, in aston ishing numbers, swarm on the mothers back and crawl over her body until big enough to wean, which is not until they are from four to six weeks old. At that time she kicks, shakes or scrapes them off by the dozen, and after few rebuffs they run away to set up housekeeping for themselves. It is amusing to watch the mother feed her brood. have frequently offered her a nice plump fly, which she accepts eagerly, and immediately several of the little ones were bidden to the feast. Three or four would gather around and suck the juices while she held the dainty morsel for them. When they had drawn plenty of they scampered, and new relay came up to lay hold of the tid bit"
 Ut is plain you do not share the popular antipathy to spiders" remarked, endeavor- ing to make satisfactory inspection and still maintain respectful distance from spraw- ly black creature that goes stalking about on SOmS mysterious 0EIAuu COuuGcLGu W1bA 1tS spinning.
 ''No, have no antipathy for them" she says, warmly. They are pretty good con- panions when one lives alone. I have spent several years studying them here and in DOT tions of New England, cultivating their ac- quaintance closely, and yet feel that nm only beginning to know their ways. TEey are learning to know me- and will take build ing material from my hand when I offer it. spider lives several years, and besides their domestic life, their building and spinning and weaving which are beautifully and systemat- ically carried on, there are births and deaths to be chronicled, and curious characteristic traits which only the close observer discov- CTS.
 ''Here is a gift which came from the north" Mrs. Treat said, holding up pretty gray cocoon that looked like soft woven silk attached to the foliage ends of some dry grasses, the whole snugly packed in box like jewel in it's case and sent by mall. 'trhis holds the eggs of different species l shall put it in the sunshine to hatch, and by and by, when the baby spiders issue from the cocoon, shall have an excellent oppor- tunity to study them as they are growing up. I get a great many specimens from New Hampshire put up in bottles and wooden boxes-spiders, nests and coeoons- Some have their houses sent with them; some build when they reach here"
 A little tray was next set on for inspection the contents of which were very interesting as they consisted of nests of various con- struction brought from the spiders, out-d door haunts. They were of surprisingly oeauti- full workmanship, and their style of archl- lecture is as varied as it is beautiful. 1 have seen even naturalist search plat over and over for long time for one of these nests. " Mrs Treat continued, "and then fail to find it, although confined him to space of but few inches so cunningly are they interwoven among the grasses" Various materials are used in their compositlon-hne sticks, moss, dry oak leaves, blades Of grass and cotton. In some the tiny sticks, an inch or more iorg, are piled up in real log house fashion and hidden away among the moss heads, like toy house in mimic forest. Others dwell in a rolled leaf held together py stitches. A little at one side, in the rear ot the cottage, large circular plat IS lnciosed by an arbor vite hedge, so compact that only ants and spiders can pass through at random. A narrow gateway lets the outsider pass into this enclosure In the center fine maple free offers shade in summer; birds baths are scattered about and comfortable seats are at the disposal of such favored visitors as are allowed to invade the privacy of the insect menagerie, as the spot is called.
 ~ DTIGGNEI