The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-07-06
SPIDERS NIGHTCAP.
a CURIOUS PRODUCT or INSECT La
Dor IN THE BRITISH MUSEUM.


How the FIJI Islanders Obtain These beau
tifuI and Rare Specimens - The Abbe
and His Ingenious Method OF Construct
ing Spider silk Factory.
"What In the world does the Fill island
rr do with such largo nigbtcapY" was
remark overheard In the British museum
In London. AS soon az tho speaker moved
on stepped forward to tho glass case into
which he had been looking, and there,
sure enough, wns a nightcap which for
size might easily excite an exclamation Of
surprise from the most expeotantly cuSious,
for ~ was nearly four feet long.
What was moro interesting to me, how
ever was the fact that this very curious
uightcap had been woven by spiders, and
naturally began to wonder how these
bright little creatures had gone to work to
weave 1t. That they had had any inten-
tion Of making such an odd shaped object
was too absurd to believe for moment.
but that this nightcap was composed of
spider silk was apparent from Its beautiful
light gossamer texture.
sought an explanation for IL from one
OF the professors connected with the mu-
scum, who, while giving mo the informa-
tion wanted, took the nightcap out OF
the case and handed IL to mo SO that
GOULD examine 10 closely. What first i'm
pressed me was the almost total absence
of weight. for 1t hadn't any to speak Of
Again, was surprised at the thickness Of
the material for whereas In the case 1t
looked rs though 1t had but very little
body. now that held It In my hands I
saw That 1t was nearly an inch thick.
While gazing with admiration at the
spiders wondrous handiwork / learned
from the professor how 1t was made. 1t
appears that when the Fiji islander wants
one of these nfghtcaps he makes light
framework Of sticks and places 1t In
Very dark corner where he knows there are
plenty of spiders. This Is actually all that
she native does toward making his night
cap and leaves the rest to the spiders, be-
ing quite sure that through their indus
trious efforts the spinning will be done for
him. The tropical spiders are much more
lavish of their beautiful silk than our
northern species. 80 that when the natives
rude framework Is placed In their midst
they at once set to work to cover up the
sticks with silk Of lightest gold, nor do
they cease working until the framework Is
completely hidden. Not even then do they
stop II there are still other places In which
TO spin their webs. To spin Is their nat
iural industry, and no matter what comes
in their way they work 1t over In silk as
they do the natives framework.
\ How long 1t takes the spiders to make
one of these nightcaps the professor could
not tell me, neither could he tell me just
bow the framework was made, although
be thought 1t probably consisted Of three
light sticks. We turned the cap almost
Inside out In an endeavor to find some part
of the framework, but not a particle was
to be seen. In color 1t was of rather
dirty white, but think this was due to Its
many travels Like the speaker who first
attracted my attention to this nightcap, I
wondered what the Fill islander did with
1t. However, tho professor had no infOr-
enation to give on this point.
y Very little Is known about this cap be-
Iyond the fact that 1t was made by spiders,
and that 1t was presented to the museum
Wy that well known traveller and writer,
Miss Gordon Cumming.
II To find means of using spider silk for
manufacturing purposes has long been an
object of interest to many scientific men.
have met with, however, have so far proved
In the first place. 1t was
found impossible to procure enough nat
bural insect food to feed the vast multitude
uf spiders which would be required to fur
||nish the silk. Eventually this barrier was
|bvcrcome and in chopped worms was found
IL diet which spiders thrived upon. The
natural combativeness of the members Of
kba I'm 90 har
Sculty, for they cannot be trusted near one
lanother without fighting. Numerous ex-
periments that have been made in trying
|to keep large numbers of spiders together
have resulted in continual warfare among
these savage little creatures, in which
.great numbers were slain and eaten by the
Stronger members Of the community
A great deal of ingenuity has been ex-
|hibited by scientists in their efforts to dis
cover a method of getting the silk directly
from tho living spider and not from the
cocoons. AS far back Us 1862 the Able
Raymond dc Termeyer labored indus
.triously in this direction and to n certain
extent met with able'success. Ho
invented an odd looking contrivance
which held the spider family In place on a
little stand. In appearance 1t reminds one
of the old stocks Of Puritan days, for the
spiders head and legs protruded through
one side, giving it the appearance of q di-
minutiye oulprit undergoing severe punish
ment for some offense.
The spider was placed in this position,
which did not hurt it in the least, SO that
Its legs could not interfere with tho thread
while 1t was being drawn away from it's
body. just back of the spider the abbe
placed little reel on which to reel the
silk. The most ingenious conception of the
whole idea occurred when tho abbe wished
10 begin rocling The spider was securely
fixed In the stocks, as 1t were, but a way
had to be thought out as to how to induce
the spider to spin out its thread. The able
hit upon an idea as simple AS 1t was in
genious. 1t consisted merely of giving the
paptive spider fly, which the creature
quickly seized with Its feet and Jaws.
AS the spider in It's natural haunts was
used to Immediately open its spinnercts
md throw out threads just as soon as IL
captured an insect, so now, on being fed n
|ly, the spider unconsoiously threw out
hrcads as II to swatho the fly. The ends
20 IL. hat, LII foc