The Somerset reporter., 1896-11-19

HEY CONDUCT THEMSELVES WITH
ALMOST HUMAN INTELLIGENCE.


A Fight 10 the Flush Between a Black
Tiger spider and - Pair Tron, the ar,v
nm Tri,, rn. uo,., l., r.,,a.4. Al
=. 49,. .,.,......., -, -, -.
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IN the quiet laboratory # Ninth
Haeet chemist the othel day there was
efsetsda ll-f'e tragedy when afforded a
demons sd lesson in the etiquette Of
duelsm - it is conducted among the
spiders. Few realize the intelligence
these inconspicuous little creatures often
display, and IN fact few people besides
scientists go to the trouble If spending
an hour or SO watching them.
The doctor espIcd a spider in the cor
ner Of the laboratory Wlndowssill. He
procured aWldc mouthed iar and with
a stick endcaNorcd to push the spider
into It. The insect turned saYagely on
II and dartcd quickly up the stick to-
ward his hand Stick and spider We're
dropped Immediately ON to the sill,
from which Ill another instant the erea-
ture WAS scooped into the jar.
lie lay sullen and punched up at the
bottom. His body was fully three.quar-
tiers OF an inch long, the tharaX notified
black and green, the abdomen pursy
round ami marked with well defined
stripes Of black and yellow; the legs not
very long, hut stout, hairy and ending
N unusually strong, double claws, while
the head WAS armed with pair of
shining black maudibles that looked
like small steel pinchers. One Ct the
nelghtors said atterWard thai 1t was a
tiger spider, and there was no ques-
ton rs to the aptness of the name. His
behavior was so ugly and fierce that he
made II good subject for testing the
pugnaclty of spiders with thelf kind.
The doctor Was familiar With his own
home, and having made the capture he
Went up into his own garrett where the
walls and corners were proiu-elN deco
rated with Twill you walk into MY par
lof' eontrlVancoS. lie singled cut 4
typical web and proceeded. HE mouth
OF the web was opcn.a Al over quite 4
considerable area and ral back As a
barrow tube the whole hgng like the
most deheately woven gray White silk.
Throwing tcmpluS bait INTO the web
III the shape OF fly, the doctor had no
difficulty M sweeping two cray spiders
INTO another Jar.
lie got deep sided salad bowl and
dumped the gray spiders III. They at
once began running around the flat bot
tom, making wild dashes up the sides
and tunibllng over each other III their
excited efforts to escape.
As soon as the tiger spider was shaken
out OF his pickle Jar INTO the bowl the
gray spiders ceased their Wild actions
and took up crouchng position at one
side OF the bowl bottom, The tiger spl-
der made no effort to escape, but after
one or two rapid reconnolters OF his sur
roundlngs squatted just across from
and facing the mil trlbers.
The first offensive movements came
from the gray spiders. These. We're III
the nature OF slow advances and retreats
along the circumference line OF the bowl
bottom, with the evident intention of
taking the tiger spider on the flank. At
each advance, however the tiger spider
sat up, resting ON ms Tour postenor and
middle feet, while the two anterior legs
We're stretched out hke the arms OF a
wrestler, and the strong eallper shaped
Jaws were opened to their fullest extent.
suddenly one OF the spiders made IA
characteristic butfatal dash. lie seemed
actually to leap at the pl9 spider. But
quick as the mi spider was the tiger
SPIDER was equally So As the long drab
SPIDER darted H. the big black and yell
low fellow sprung up and faced him.
The next instant they closed and IN II
moment three OF the NH spider legs
lay ON the glass, ana the tiger spider,
holding ms enemy III bearllke hug,
was harylhR ms mahdlbIes III the 9TH
er throat.
HE Killing mad not been done, how
ever without receipt OF INJURY on both
sldeS. one yellow ana black leg lay
with the threc drab ones and there
Were TWO drops on plack juice ON the
which showed ,vbnrn the or,,. spidar
had planted has laws in the rush.