St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1896-07-17
The Spider as a Sailor.

We all know that there are so-called
"water-spiders," but these are boat
men or rowers rather than sailors,
for they spread nothing that can take
the place of canvas. Some land
spiders, however, do set sail, and run
before the wind over still expanse
of water. How they do it is ex.
planned by Meredith Nugent in Our
Animal Friends, June, as follows:
THE spider uses his silk for a va
riety of purposes. There are the
wonderful little balloon. spiders who
send forth their silken threads into
the air, and when all is ready launch
themselves out on the breeze to seek
new lands, new countries. The dis.
tances these little aeronauts have
been known to travel is remarkable.
Darwin saw them clinging to the
yard arms OF a vessel on which he
was a passenger, when sailing sixty
miles from land, and authenticated
instances are recorded Of their board
ing a ship when two hundred miles
out at sea. How great distance
they can actually travel in this way
is not known, but it would not be
at all surprising if they crossed from
continent to continent in their aerial
fights.
ut was reserved for DR.. McCook,
however, to discover mode of loco
motion used by some spiders, but
previously unknown to naturalists.
When studying the habits of certain
water spiders he shook the branch
OF tree that stood by the waters
edge in order to procure specimens.
A number of spiders fell, and all
travelled back to shore in ways fa-
mliar to the doctor, with the excep.
ton of one spider, which seemed to
move across the surface of the water
without any motion of its legs.
When it approached the shore, the
doctor placed it far out on the pond
again, and watched it more closely.
In a few moments it resumed its
peculiar method of travelling, and he
saw positively that it did not use its
legs. How, then, did it cross the
water? The gentle breeze blowing
against its body could hardly have
driven it at the rate it was going
for that it was moving along at a
iarly good pace was evidenced by
the little riplets which streamed out
on either side ofthe circle ofrigid legs.
ut occurred to the doctor that
perhaps this little mariner was sail
ing under an invisible sail; in other
words, that perhaps the spider had
let out number OF silken threads as
the aeronaut spiders do; and that,
instead of carrying it through the
air, they caused it to skim rapidly
over the surface of the water.
AS the curious little chap APP
preached the land again, the doctor
held his cane out about two feet
above the spider. In a moment ii
came to halt. The mystery was
solved; as he had suspected, the tiny
craft was really sailing under invisi'
Ole sails, and as they came into con
tact with the doctors cane they ad
nered to it so firmly that by a sudder
movement of the stick the spider was
n'ted clear out of the water. 1t i!
just possible that gossamer threat
runs from the tip OF each leg to thu
one nextit, thereby forming diminu
1--WE silken float for the spider tt
stand upon, but of this there is nj
certainty. However, we coult
hardly ask for anything more won
ueriul than spider that is a sailor
ana his own sail-boat and his owl
Sall-maker, all in one."