Marshall County independent., 1899-06-16
TRAP-DOOR SPIDERS.
And Others That show They Have
Intelligence.


Intelligence.
Another curious species is that OF
the trap-doOr spiders, whose nest con-
sists of a tube excavated in the earth
is always lined with silk and it is
closed with an ingeniously constructed
door. One sort of door closes into the
nest like a cork in a bottle; another is
as thin as piece of paper. In all
cases the door opens outward, and
when the nest is placed. as it usually
is, on a slopng bank, ii opens upward
so that there is no fear of its gaping.
The object OF the trapdOOr is to con-
ceal the nest, and consequently it is
always made to resemble the general
surface of the ground. Sometimes,
however, an enemy attempts to open
the door; and then the inmate braces
its legs against the sides of the nest
and holds it as fast as possible. Still
other spiders have inner doors besides
the outer, so that if their first defense
be carried. they may have another be-
hind which to retreat. More curious
still is the ingenuity of the branch
trap door-that is to say, door that
opens from the main tunnel OF the
nest into a side branch. which the
spider knows. of course. but which no
stranger could discover. since there is
nothing TO distinguish il from any part
OF the main nest. So. then, if an en-
emy should effect an entrance, the law
full occupant of the nest can quietly
slip into the side branch, close to the
door. and there remain in security
while the intruder wonders what has
become of her II all these wonderful
things are done by instinct, have we
any proof whatever of individual in
telligence among spiders? Most as
suredly. II We remember that intelli-
gence is proved whenever we observe
a manifest application of means appro-
pirate to the accomplishment OF par
ticular ends. il is hardly possible to
DENY that there is some evidence of the
Intelligence of spiders. Many instances
have occurred more or less like the
IOIIOW OHc Vi lily llltllu W -
accustomed to grant shelter to num-
her of garden spiders under a large
veranda, and to watch their habits
One day a storm broke out. and the
wind ragged so furiOusly through the
garden that the spiders suffered dam
age from il. although sheltered by the
veranda The mainyards OF one of
these webs. as the sailors would call
them. were broken: so that the web
was blown hither and thither. like a
slack sail in a storm The spider made
no fresh threads. but tried to helD
itself in another way. 1t let itseli
down to the ground by thread. and
crawled to a place where lay some
splin.ered pieces of a wooden fence
thrown down by the storm. Il fastened
a thread to one of the bits of wood
turned back with it and hung it with
a strong thread to the lower part of its
nest, about five feet from the ground
The performance was a wonderful one
for the weight of the wood sufiiced to
keep the nest tOlerably firm, while II
was yet light enough to yield to the
wind. and so prevent further injury
The piece of wood was about two and
one-half inches long and as thick as a
goosequill On the following day
careless servant knocked her head
against the wod. and it fell down But
I'm the course OF few hours the spider
had found it and brought 1t back to its