Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1897-07-10
= CURIOUS PRODUCT OF INSECT La.
Dor IN THE BRITISH MUSEUM.

BOX IN HE BRITISH MUSEUM.
Flow the Fiji Islanders Obtain These Beau
tiful and Rare Specimens The Able
and His Ingenious Method of Construct
ing Spider silk Factory.
"What in the world does the Fiji island
or do with such large nightcap?" was a
remark l overheard in the British museum
in London. AS soon as the speaker moved
on l stepped forward to the glass case into
which he had been looking, and there,
sure enough, was a nightcap which for
size might easily excite an exclamation of
surprise from the most expectantly curious,
fer it was nearly four feet long.
What was moro interesting to me, how
ever, was the fact that this very curious
nightcap had been woven by spiders, and
naturally l began to wonder how these
bright little creatures had gone TO work to
weave it. That they had had any inten-
ton of making such an odd shaped object
was too absurd TO believe for moment,
but that this nightoap was composed of
spider silk was apparent from its beautiful
light gossamer texture.
sought an explanation for it from one
Of the professors connected with the mu-
scum, who, while giving me the informa-
ton wanted, took the nightcap out of
the case and handed it to me so that
could examine it closely. What first i'm
pressed me was the almost total absence
Of weight, for it hadn't any to speak Of
Again, 1 was surprised at the thickness of
the material, for whereas in the case it
looked as though it had but very little
boGy. now that held it in my hands /
saw that it was nearly an inch thick
While gazing with admiration at the
spiders wondrous handiwork / learned
from the professor how it was made. 1t
appears that when the Fiji islander wants
one of these nightcaps he makes light
framework of sticks and places it in
very dark corner where no knows there are
plenty of spiders. This is actually all that
the 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 arc much more
lavish of their beautiful silk than our
northern species, so that when the natives
rude framework is placed in their midst
sticks with silk of lightest gold, nor do
they cease working until the framework is
completely hidden. Not even then do they
stop if there are still other places in which
to spin their webs. To spin is their nat
ural industry, and no matter what comes
in their way they work it over in silk as
they do the natives framework.
How long it takes the spiders to make
Of fha-n ioHf bo
not tell me, neither could he tell me just
how the framework was made, although
he thought it. 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 it was Of a rather
dirty white, but think this was due to it's
many travels. Like the speaker who first
attracted my attention to this nightcap, l
wondered what the Fiji islander did with
1t. However, the professor had no infor-
nation to give ON this point.
Very little is known about this cap be-
yond the fact that it was made by spiders,
and that it was presented to the museum
by that well known traveller and writer,
Miss Gordon Cumming.
To find means of using spider silk for
manufacturing purposes has long been an
object of interest to many scientific men.
The almost innumerable difficulties they
have met with, however, have so far proved
insurmountable. In the first place. it was
found impossible to procure enough nat
ural insect food to feed the vast multitude
Of spiders which would be required to fur
nish the silk. Eventually this barrier was
overcome and in chopped worms was found
diet which spiders thrived upon The
natural combatiyeness of tho members of
the spider family is another serious diff
Guilty, for they cannot be trusted near one
another without fighting. Numerous ex-
perilaents 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 method of getting the silk directly
from the living spider and not from the
oocoons. AS far back as 1862 the Able
Raymond dc Termeyer labored indus
triously in this direction and to certain
extent met with considerable success. He
invented an odd looking contriyance
which held the spider family in place ON a
little stand. In appearance it reminds one
of the old stocks of Puritan days, for the
spiders head and legs protruded through
one side, giving it the appearance Of a di-
ninutiye culprit 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 the thread
while it was being drawn away from it's
body. just back Of the spider the able
placed a little reel on which to reel the
silk. The most ingenious conception of the
whole idea occurred when the able wished
to begin reeling. The spider was securely
fixed in the stocks, as it were, but way
had to be thought out as to how to induce
the spider to spin out it's thread. The able
hit upon an idea as simple as it was in
genious. 1t consisted merely of giving the
captive 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 spinnerets
and throw out threads Just as soon as it
captured an insect, so now, on being fed a
fly, the spider unconsciously threw out
threads as if to swathe the fly. The ends
of these threads were then quickly fastened
to the reel by the quick witted able. This
was then slowly turned and the silk
wound off as with the silkworm' S cocoon.
From time to time we read of various
articles which have been made from spider
silk. A royal garment of this material
was woven for Queen Victoria by some of
her loyal subjects in her worldwide en-
pire, and there is a number of other in
stances which 1 cannot now recall.-New
York Ledger.
Sure to BE Appreciated.
"Your mother reads great DEAL re-
marked Maud