The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-11-26
COW sPIDERs BUILD.

Grant Allen Watched the Methods of
Two Of Them and Noted Difference.
From LoHoman's Magazine.
AS the webs which my spiders, Lucy ard
Eliza, spun we're several times broken or
mutila ed during the year, either Ivy acci-
dent or the gardener, we had plenty of
chances for seeing how they proceeded in
making them. The lines were in both
cases stretched between white rose bush
that climbed up one side of the window
and purple cleInatis that occupied aud
draped tie opposite mulioa,
But Lucy and Eliza didn't live in the web
those were only their snares or trans for
prey; each of them had in addition a prI-
vate home or apartment of her own under
shelter OF rose leaf at some distance from
the treacherous geJmetrical structure The
house itself consisted merely of a siken cell,
quit out from the rose leaf, and connected
Win the snare by q single stout cord of
very solid construction. On this cord the
spider kept one foot had almost aid one
hand-constantly fixed. She poised 1t lightly
by It's claws and whenever an insect got en-
tangled in the web subtle electric message,
50 TO speak, seemed to run along the line to
sne ever wauchful oarnivore. In one short
second Lucy or Eliza, as the case might be ,
mad darted out upon her quarry and was
tacshng 1t might and main, according to
tne particular way it's size and strength rem
dered then and there advisable.
In building their webs, as in many other
small poirts, Lucy and Eliza showed from
the tirst no inconsiderate personal differ
ences. Lucy began hers by spinning long
line from her splnnerets, and letting the
wind carry it wherever it would while
Eliza. more architectural in character, pre-
ferred to take her lines personally from
point to point, and see herself to their
proper fastening. In either case, however,
the first thing done was to stretch some
eight or ten stout threads from place to
place on the outside of the future web, to
act as points d'appui for the remainder Of
the structure. To these outer threads,
which the spiders strengthened so as to bear
considerable strain by doubling and treb-
ling them, other thinner single threads
were then carried radially at irregular dis
tances, like the spokes Of a wheel, from a
point In the center, where they were all
made fast and connected together.
As soon as the radiating framework or
scaffolding was finished, like the wool on
loom, the industrious craftswoman started
Ia the middle and began the task OF put
ting iii the crossDieces # weft which were
TO complete and bind together the circular
pattern. These she wove round and round
In continuous spiral, setting out at the
center and keeping on in ever widening
circlets till she arrived at last at the ex-
terror or foundation threads How she
fastened these cross-pieces to the raylines
1 could never quite make out, though
often followed the work closely from inside
through the pane Of glass with platysco-
pic lens; for, strange TO say, the spiders
were not in the least disturbed by being
watched at their work, and never TOOK the
slightest notice Of any hing that went on at
the other side Of the window. My impress
sion 10, however, that she gummed them to-
gether, letting them harden into one as
they dried. for the thread itself is always
semi-liquid when first exuded.