Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-12-24

iUlSii.
Take look at him through the mi
'croscope; he is beauty" said the anna
teur.
The friend looked. Eight murderous
eyes glared up at him. They were
ranged in two semicircles on the front
of a head teeming with malignant cum
ming and ferocity. The strong jaws were
open, and two hollow, serrated tusks
protruded from them. No neck could
be seen. Body and head were onc-a
model of cruel power, covered with
stripes of silky tan and black hair. Eight
long. triple-jointed, forceful legs, half
hidden by hair and feathers, armed with
sharp-pointed spikes like locust thorns,
ending in formidable claws hooked at
their points and teethed like coarse
combs, We're bent in the attitude of
springing. The specimen seemed as
large as a chipmunk, and in general
form resembled one
''DOeS it use those combs on its feet
to smooth the hair and feathers on its
1egsa" asked his friend of the amateur
''Yes. They also assist in web max
ing, and prevent slipping when the
spider makes spring. The jumping
spider gets his name from his nimble
bounds. The fellow you have Just seen
sprang to the top of weed two feet
from, and a little lower than his web
when tickled him with piece of wire.
i knew his next move would be to drop
to the ground. Holding wide-mouthed
vial directly under him, 1 gave him an
other prod. He dropped. The cork,
saturated with chloroform, was hastily
put into the vial. The spider dreamed
OF fat bluebottles and juicy grasshop-
pers for few seconds, and then forgot
about them forever. Some have but
two eyes. others thirteen. In differing
species their arrangement also varies
The jumping spider has all its eyes in
front. 1t does not need them else
where. Sitting in the entrance of the
woven funnel attached to the web, and
facing it, the jumper is ready for prey
OR foe. 1t leaves no external trace of
its business. Springing upon its vic
tim, the spider drags it from the web
into the funnel, dispatches it, feasts
upon it, and then drops the skeleton
out of the narrow end of the funnel, to
hang there with other evidence of its
power. When alarmed it retreats
through the skeleton closet to the cram
mics in the fence or the depths of the
dense shrubbery in which it has builded.
1.-The eyes of the wolf spider are
adapted to the uses it has for them. On
each side of its body are two eyes, and
in the front of its head four. 1t weaves
no web. Providing along wall, fence
or branch, the wolf spies fly, instantly
attaches line to the object upon which
tits moving, and looks wickedly at the
fiy. The fly steps forward and stops
The wolf steps forward. gets nearer to
the fly, and stops. Every time the fly
moves the spider follows and gains
upon it, until near enough for its pur-
pose. when it pounces upon the fly and
the iittest survives. Should the fly turn
from the top of the fence to go down the
side. the wolf hastens to the edge, drops
upon the fly, swings with him for sec
Ond upon the line, and then draws him
self and his dinner up to the top OF
lthe fence.
House or barn spiders-chaps with
round bodies-have two eyes on
the head. Horny lids force these
n.y. On 70 the sides and rear. In front
70, oCM uAtwo that can see straight
% s,exe axe r,pward. Below these, on
tosxsssN sSas q we head; are TWO g '
sS ssssy lis ssss S S ,o 9 Ril'ses
w. s,,s NsSasesu NE VIVA sSsa.o7 .,
NV ss,,sse ON osss-sseAymx O.
w ss cSoslhs Nume splo
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