Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-04-28

of his family. he Is by nature n silk
simmer, and II 10 with Alk IF his own
sninning and weaving that he SO beau
tifully lines the entire length OF his
cave.
After the silken hangings are finished
to his ratisfaction. he proceeds to a la
bor which requires all his skin, both as
a mason and silk weaver. and that is
tbe trap-door which Is to close and
hide his retreat.
For this purpose he first spins n web
exactly covering the mouth OF the cave,
but attached to It only by one side.
over this web. which, though very
fine. Is also very strong, he places an
extremely thin layer Of earth; then
over this he weaves another web, and
then again puts ON another layer of
earth, and so on, layer after layer OF
alternate web and earth, cementing
all together with strong cement of
his own preparing, until the door Is
thick and firm enough to answer his
purpose.
OF course. the part of the web which
is attached to the side of the cave
forms the hinge to the door.
In most cases the spider leaves open
the door to his retreat when he Is out
OF 1t, only shutting 1t when he seeks
safety within, and opening 1t easily by
pushing it up from the inside when he
wishes to get out.
But there are some of these cunning
workmen who wish to secure their
caves from possible capture while they
are absent; so these extend the sllken
layers of the lid on the hinge side in
such way as to form u sort of handle
or lever, just above the hinge. Having
done this they can let the door or lid
fall after they have passed through,
and when they wish to re-enter, they
have only to press back upon the lever,
thus opening the door.
As the outside layer of this door Is
of earth, the robber-mason SPIDERS
concealment is complete. for the most
practlced eye can hardly by the most
dillrent search, discover the door so
lngeniously made. This curious spider
is found In several places, but his
habits have been observed chiefly on
the island of Zante, in the Mediter-
ranean Sea.
The tent-building spider, to form the
fairy-like tent in which 1t lives and
raises its young. first weaves a tiny
sliken sheet with seven or eight sides,
which form SO many angles, to which
are attached the slender silken ropes
whsSh hold the tent firmly to the sur
face of the ground.
so fine are the silken 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 the
weather, 1t has cunningly contrived
that the different layers of the tent
shaiI form u labyrinth through which
1t alone can find its way.
Another spider the maker OF water
proof goods, is a corsalr. and, OF course,
needs a ship to sail about in; and,
equally of course. considering It's ma
ture, II prefers to get It's ship by steal
ing. So. having determined TO enter
upon its piratical career ne looks about |
TO ind the cast-on shell of a water |
snail
Having found one of suitable size.
II enters, and Immediately begins to |
prepare door of Vanished silk, which |
Is perfectly waterproof.
Behind this door effectually pro- |
tected from the water our cunning |
corsalr lives and floats about. WAITING |
Tor his prey. Like all other corsalrg |
he sails under false colDrs. II IN to de- |
celVe his victims until they have no |
time to make their escnpe that he |
passes himself CIT as an innocent water |
snail.
Still another spider is a paper-mnker
and DR.. Livingstone found many speci- |
mons OF 1t living in Central Africn. |
where II makes It's nest of small sheets |
or thin gray paper, resembling that Of |
which hornets and wasps build their
nests. pasted so close to the walls Of |
inc native huts as to almost escape OBJ |
servatlun.
The balloon-malIing spider has ot-
tracted great admiration from the skin
with which 1t spins, weaves and in |
Hates tiny balloon. underneath whish |
II remains in safety while the breezes |
watt it away.