The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-11-05
A QUEER DUEL.
A Black and Brown Spider Fight
to the Death.

A big window in the southeast corner
of the old warehouse at the head of
Lake kcuka, in IIammondsport, is Gov
cred as with 4 curtain by spider webs.
The warehouse was built sixty years
ago, when Iiammondsport was the great
grain shipping point for Western Now
York, says correspondent in tho n
y. Sun. The grain business ceased to
be the mainstay of this region long
since, and this old building was put to
othcruscs For many years; tho southeast
corner has been but little disturbed, and
generation after generation Of spiders
have spun their webs and Matched and
bred their young on the dust-covcred
window. Spiders of many kinds, with
as many different architectural plans
for their gossamor dwelling places make
their homes on the casing and sashcs
and pancs of the old window. There
are spiders with big oval bodies and
legs an inch long. There are spiders
scarcely bigger than mustard seed,
busy as bees Garting up and down and
here and there on invisible supports
like meats floating in sunbeam. There
are spiders with bodies as round rs n
cherry and almost rs big. Brown spi-
dcrs, black spiders, gray spiders festoon
with their webs this Unused corner of
tho old warehouse ON the lake, and wax
fat on the flies and bugs that seek tho
dangerous scclusion OF thns dusty and
nusty nook.
The pancs of this window are the
small squares Of the old DAVIS. One of
the big oval-bodied, graylsh-brown
spiders had his web spread over tho en-
tire surface of one pane of glass and
over all but ono small corncrof another.
In that corner plump, black spider, not
moro than onc-quartcr the size CT the
brown spider, had his modest but effect.
I've trap. Tho other day thc big spider
evidently concluded that he needed
more room for his web, and he coolly
began preparation to extend it over the
corner occupied by the transformations
black spider. He ran out u cable that
passed across one edge of the black
spiders web and fastened it to the cdgo
of the sash between that pane and the
next one. This cable was quickly fol-
lowed by another, and third one was
strung before tho little black spider
seemed to wako up TO what was going
on. Then he came out Of his corner and
gave tho big spiders audacious work n
quick inspection. That having evident
ly satisfied him of the intention OF tho
big trcspasscr, he nipped the three ca
bles apart, one after another, and left
them dangling usclessly in the air.
Tho big spider ran out whilo the little
black one was undoing his work, and
for 4 moment seemed paralyzod with
aniazccucnt. The little spider, having
destroyed the cables, retired TO tho Sc
clusion of his corner and resumed his
watch for flies. Tho big fellow recov-
cred from his surprise and Immediately
threw another cable across tho little
onc's web. Out camo tho little fol-
low with rush and snapped
that cable asunder. -Four times
after that the big spider strung
o cable, and each time tho littlo
spider cut it down. Then the big one
started with another line. The littlo
one, evidently furious at the persistency
of the other in trespassing upon his
premises. threw himself on tho big spi-
der. There was q lively struggle be-
tween tho two spiders for second or
two, and then the big one broke away
and rctrcated to his den in the extreme
upper corner of his web, where no re-
manned quiet, but evidently uneasy.
The little black fellow toro about in his
corner rs if i'll towering rage, and
while his fury was at it's height an
other spider, with q long, ugly-looking
head and n small body, camo gliding
| down on single thread from pane above
the little black ones corner. This spider
joined tho raging black one, and by and
by tho latter cooled down. The two
spiders remained together in apparent
confidential intercourse for n few sec
onds, and then the spider with the big
head darted out upon the brown spiders
web and followed it to the big fellows