Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1897-06-02
TALK ON SPIDERS.
4 eeautifM Web BuTt Upon a Wall Oa
 fhe MoOriand

Walking across the moorland one bright sunny day in August, l came across a large spider web built up on wall Its precise geometrical accuracy at once betrayed the fact of its belonging to a member of the family epeiridoe. The form of web hGilt by this familyof spiders is the popular ideal of spiders web, and it is but a small percentage of the nenscientiiic community who, if asked for the description of a spi der's snare, would mot give that of an epeira But there are spiders webs and spiders webs. All spiders do not build their ~snares alike, and some obtain their prey by hunting. 1 searched for the spider and found him. as usual, resting, head down. ward, in the center of his web, his colored body showing up well in the dazzling sunlight A decided white or cream colored cross upon his back at once pronounced his identity the common garden or diadem spi- der Epeira diadem). This species has when disturbed 8 curious habit of shaking the web, so 1 touched the spider. and at once the net shook so violently as to obscure all form and shape by reason of the rapidity of the vibrations.
 In October the garden spider ! foI ms its cocoon. to contain the eggs, which, after laying over winter, hatch in the spring, when a most beautiful sight may be seen. Speak inc from experience, this sight is 1 truly beautiful and cannot fail to ! interest even the most unscientiic. Directly after leaving the egg these pretty little spiders construct an irregular mass of very fine threads among the herbaGe in the middle of which they cluster together, as | closely as the proverbial herrings in a box. forming a little ball of l about the size of a pea. Gently touch one of these threads, or a tlyig, near l enough to disturb them, and in an instant the little ball is turned, ap- i parently. into smoke. as the GOO or | 700 of almost invisible little atoms of life begin to disperse and scatter themselves in the immediate neigh borhood
 If quietness prevail for some lit tie time aul the disturbance be not continued, the tiny creatures grad ually gather themselves into a clus. ter again, which is restored to its former size as soon as the few thou sands of bodily appendages can bt packed to the best advantaga
 It is said that the total absence oi light in nowise affects the consTuc ton of a web, and 1t has also beer stated that young spiders can make these beautiful webs in full perfec ton. pr. Dallinger has watched ( spider begin and complete a web 1T 27 minutes.
 In common with some other in sects, the subject of our sketch has a peculiar method of overcoming it's victim by winding threads round and round it until it is enveloped 1T a strong silken covering. Thus tht spider IS able to deal with large in sects, and the method also gives him supply of fresh food, for the in sects thus inwrapped are kept alive in the web. The second pair of leg of the male is armed with a nJunbel of short, strong spines. for the pur pose, it is said, of defending hin against the attacks of his spouse who is very ferocious during iii, pairing season and has been knowI to capture and devour her mate when approached by him at thi' season.
 In Homes Without Hands tho author (NIr. Wood) gives an inter esting account of the ingenuity d-s played by a garden spider A wei was exposed to a strong current oi wind. Either from its inability tC renew the part during the storm ol knowing that if done it would bt probably torn away again, the spi der suspended some pieces of woot to the web as weights, which, while serving to preserve the form and shape of the web, did not offer toC great resistance to the wind. TC prove that they were not accidental Iy so placed, Mir Wood removed thr pieces of wood, but found that Oth CT pieces of wood took their places thus showing, beyond doubt, that they were there for some purpose. -- 1 Newc9Stle Chronicle