Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-16
WAYS OF HUNTING SPIDERS.
Some Build Rats to Seek Their Prey
the Water.

From the New York Sun.
The wolf spider spins no web, but stalks
its prey-hence it's name. 1t takes the pre-
caution to spin a thread before Ieaping
after anything. so that in event of falling
short it will have a way of retreat. 1t
is about the fiercest of the spiders. though
far from the biggest or most venomous,
and in captivity will stalk it's own image
when crawling over a mirror and fall into
a fury at finding itself baked.
The trapdoOr spider builds its nest in the
ground tunnel, about three inches deep,
with a branch sloping upward and closed
by an inner door opening downward The
outer door, which opens upward, is of the
thicllest, finest silk. with an outer coat of
earth and small pebbles, to make it indis-
tinguishable from the surrounding surface.
Water spiders lash together with their
best silk RATS of dead leaves, upon which
they float in pursuit of water insects But
the RATS do not compare with their nests,
which are egg-shaped lined with the finest
waterproof web and buoyed with clusters
of tiny air bubbles, which the mother spi-
der takes down by diving upon her back,
with the bubble entangled in her legs.
All spiders begin nest building very
young. At seven weeks old trapdoor spi
ders make little nests the size of cent,
and. of course, something haphaZard and
aYry. No young spider. in fact, builds a
workmanlike nest, although the creatures
have from two to eight eyes each The
youngsters appear to use their spinnerets
in play. much children build doll houses.
Spiderwebs once had a great vogue as
medicine. They were held specific for con-
sumption, and certain feYerS. well as
the best of styptics. They have still that
last use Even squirting arterial blood
may be checked If not wholly stanched
by generous handful of cobwebs held
hard against the wound.
Spiders are wonderfully weather-wise
They will neither build new nests nor repair
breaks In old ones in face of a storm.
They have moreover a certain prescience
which fOretells weather changes. Where
fore If you see half-destroyed web with
no spider body making haste to build it
over, though the sun may shine and winds
caress. be certain stormy weather is not
twelve hours away.
Few more wonderful adaptations are
seen in the whole round of nature than the
webs spiders spin to entrap the wary ant.
They are not high hung, lacy affairs, ca
ressing every breeze, but low-set silken
tubes stretched in the grass. the crevices
of rock or about tree roots. Ants of every
size creep heedlessly into them The spi-
derS eat them with relish, but occasionally
very little spider and a very big ant
engage in a duel to the death II the
spider can bite the ant can sting-and does
II with a right good Will The spider does
not try to get rid of such an ant as he
does of a wasp or bee too strong to be
safely attacked. Such an insect which
threatens destruction to the web, is often
cut out of 1t by the web builder. The en-
tangling cables are not loosed but the
web rays neatly shipped in two first those
underneath and at the very last the high
est filament- Often the letting go of such
a captive means destruction to half the
nest. But some spiders are wiser than
they have enough, but when they have too
much.