St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1891-12-12

the ground 50 Ane ars the sillees
sheets that several Of them, laid closely
upon each other. are required to make
the tent strong enough to resist the
rain and protect those under the shelter
Of the tent As the spider must protect
its young from other enemies than thl
weather it has cunningly contrivei
that the different layers Of the tent
shall form . labyrinth through which
It alone can find its way. To do this
IL fastens together some Of the sheets
ON ono side and some On others, 50 thai
having entered by the outermost open
ing it has to travel ss many times from
side to side as there are layers to the
tent before it can reach the tidy little
apartment where its young arc kept
safely dry and warm. The more eHec.
tually to conceal the tent from possible
enemies, the outside layer is carefully
discolorcd with mud, 50 that Il may 70.
semblc the color Of the surrounding
soil. but the interior 10 beautifully
clean. soft and white. =,
Another spider. the maker of water.
proof goods, Is . corsair. and Of
course needs = ship TO sail about in;
and. equally Of course. considering It's
nature, it prefers to get its ship by
stealing. So. having determined to en-
ter upon its piratical career, it hooks
about to find the fcast-o6 shell Of .
water snail Having found one Of suit
able size it enters and Immediately BE-
gins to prepare . door Of vanished
silk, which ID perfectly waterproof.
Behind this door. cfectually protected
from tho water. our cunning eorsair
lives and floats about waiting for HE
prey. Like all other corsairs, he aall4
under false colorA It Is to deceive his
victims until they have NO time to make
their escape that he passes himself Of
Is an innocent water snail All spiders
arc said to dislike . wetting nearly or
quite rs much a. cats are known to do,
yet there are other spiders. besides the
corsair waterproof silk maker, whieh
habitually live in or under the water.
All such spiders are. Of course, sl<ilifnl
in tho manufacture of tho vanished
silk, which enables them to live under
water without injury.
One such spider. called BY naturalists
the Argyroneta from two Greek words
signifying silver and spun, lives in stag.
nant water. on the surface Of which Il
swims about with perfect ease, keep
ing its abdomen inclosed in . little
globe Of vanished silk. which shines
like silver; and, being filled with Dir.
acts rs . life preserver, keepink its
wearer from sinking.
The female Of this spider consfructs
for itself . sort Of diving bell. in which
it can live all winter beneath the water
This diving-bcll-an oval-shapedcoco
Of vanished silk, well filed with siRI
Is anchored securely by inaltitudes Of
strong but very slePder silken cables
10 the surrounding plants In it it,
maker lies in wait for prey. or deposits
md jealously guards her cocoon Of eggA
Or shuts herself up during the winter.
Still another spider is skiIlful pa
per maker. and DR.. Livingston found
many specimens Of It living in central
Africa. where Il makes its nests Of
small sheets Of thin. gray paper. re-
that Of which hornet shd
wasps build their nests. pasted % close
y to the walls OF the natives' huts -
% almost escape observation
The balloon-making spider has at-
,racted great admiration from the slkill
With which he spins, weaves and in
lates tiny balloon underneath which
{ remains in safety. while the beeezes
vaft it away. 81
Another little air traveller l. able t..
make long aerial voyages without the,
i'd Of either wings or balloonA II j..
Inown rs the Gossamer spider. N 4 great
of them have been fou nd ON
hips fully sixty miles from land. Tho.
iossamcr is only about one e-tenth Of an
nch in length and Of dusky red color
Jpon first coming in contact with tho
igging Of . ship it always seems to 6es
TO only . single thread. but
n few moments il surrounded BY .
mesh Of floating web. which appears t2
K produced simply BY the entsngie-
nent Of the one long single thread.
When tho Gossamer IL on land and
wishes to sail OF through the air, il
rawls upon some little cminenc4, ele~I
ates its abdomen. sends forth single
bread and immediately the slighest
'reath of air bears it away 1t limo on I
level, or nearly 20. with the height |
rom which it started Mr. Charles
Darwin, who tells rs sbout this spideS. l
avs that he thought he coald perceive
hat before sending forth the doatinSl 1
bread the spider connected it, legs to I
ether by other delicate threads; but
I this he was not quite sure. II this
DO correct Il may be that
he delicate threads uniting to the
pider's very light body may form .
ort of parachute and aid it in its fight
Another tiny spider while placed On
he top Of . post shot forth froE IT.
2inners four or i've threads. each
bout yard in length. These threads
in the sunshine, looked liEe
.parated and waving rays Of light on
'hich it scared away - II on wingA
Its supply of silk" says Mr.. Darwin
seemed inexhaustible." ri
This might probably be said OF most 7
,iderA A very keen and accurate ob. L
.rvcr has told me that he once traced
hat seemed to be . single continuous l
lread Of SPIDERS web extending from !
point on the shore Of tho Hud.
N river near Cold Spring to smother
bins on tho opposite shore ne1r The !
lest Point landing, At tho height Of
sout q yard above the water: My nj
,rmant vras In n y-ovvfnat ak afnxIf fivC /