The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1897-01-13
SPIDERS IN BATTLE.
THEY CONDUCT THEMSELVES WITH
ALMOST HUMAN INTELLIGENCE.

A Fight to the Finish Between 81 Black
Tiger Spider and Pair From che Gray
Hlli Tribc-The Bout by Rounds-An
'Put to Sleep" Though the Black Won.
In the quiet laboratory of u Ninth
street chemist the other day there was
enacted q little tragedy which afforded a
demonstrated lesson in the etiquette Of
duelism rs 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 of spending
an hour or so watching them.
The doctor espied spider IN the cor.
ner OF the laboratory window sill. He
procured wide mouthed jar, and with
stick endeavored to push the spider
into 1t. The insect turned savagely on
1t and darted quickly up the stick to.
ward his hand. Stick and spider were
dropped immediately on to the sill,
from which in another instant the crea.
ture was scooped into the jar.
He lay sullen and punched up at tho
bottom. His body was fully three-qu
ters of an inch long, the thUrax notified
black and green, the abdomen pursy,
round and marked with we'll defined
stripes Of black and yellow; the legs not
very long, but stout. hairy and ending
In unusually strong, double claws, while
the head wns armed with pair of
shining black mandibles that looked
like small steel pinchers. One of the
neighSors said afterward that it was
"tiger spider" and there was no ques.
tion as to the aptness Of the name His
behavior was so ugly and fierce that he
made good subject for testing the
puNnsoity Of spiders with their kind
The doctor was familiar with his own
home, and having made the capture he
went up into his own garret, where the
walls and corners were profusely deco
rated with twill you walk into my par
lor" contrivances. He singled out
typical web and proceeded. The mouth
OF the web was opened out over quite
considerable area and ran back as
narrow tube, the whole being like the
most delicately woven gray white silk.
TArowing q tempting bait into the web
In the shape of a fly, the doctor had no
difficulty in sweeping two gray spiders
into another jar.
He got deep sided salad bowl and
dumped the gray spiders in. They at
once began running around the fiat bot
ton. making wild dashes up the sides
and tumbling over each other in their
excited efforts to escape.
As soon as the tiger spider was shaken
out Of his pickle jar into the bowl the
gray apiders ceased their wild actions
and took up a crouching position at one
NAe OF the bowl bottom. The tiger spi-
Der made no effort TO escape, but after
one o. two rapid reconnoiters Of his sur.
roundings squatted just across from
aad fasiag the hill tribers.
The Asst offensive movements came
from the gray spiders. These were in
the nssare Of slow advances and retreats
along She 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. sesting on his four posterior and
middle feot, while the two anterior legs
were stretched out like the arms of
wrestler, and the strong caliper shaped
jaws were opened to their fullest extent
Suddenly one Of the spiders made a
characteristic but fatal dash. He seemed
actually to leap at the big spider. But
quick as the hill spider was, the tiger
spider was equally so. As the long drab
spider darted in, the big black and yell
low fellow sprung up and faced him.
The next instant they closed, and In a
moment three of the hill SPIDERS legs
lay on the glass, and the tiger spider,
holding his enemy in bearlike hug,
was burying his mandibles in the 9TH
er's throat
The killing had not been done, how
ever, without receipt Of injury on both
sides. One yellow and black leg lay
with the three drab ones. and there
were two drops of black juice ON the
pursy abdomen Of the tiger spider,
which showed where the gray spider
had planted his jaws In the rush.
Meanwhile, too, the second gray spi-
der had not been idle, but was circling
round and about the struggling pair.
Then, seeing his opportunity, he dashed
in. only 10 be faced by the burly fight
Or, who. to meet tho new attack unsn.
numbered, threw the body Of the dead
conbatant from him with gesture that
was Utmost human.
Tho ciinoh did not follow 10 quickly
tlas tias The gray spider succeeded In
gWtting IN and away. clipping of an
cAAr ydiow and black leg a. he did 10
bat IN the second rush he was caught,
and the tiger spiders jaws were locked
IN his tArcaA
80 ended the fight.
10 tl9cr spider held on to his second
cwPss - long and quietly that thought
bin dead also. until stirred him with
my pen. when he staggered furiously
Against II, opened his jaws and rolled
over, . corpse. .--Cincinnah Commercial
1Mbaae.
". The New Woolsns.
Tho w11ter's woolens are handsome
md yuied. Irtdeeoent effoots. rich