Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-01-19

the less they hold firm. and serve as
aerial passageways along which the
spiders run to and fro. safely and
swift Or else they serve as guys to
brace the main web. In spinning the
spider shows architectural genius to
match her engineering skill.
First she surveys a site. then
stretches across it strong thread.
She is not particular about having this
first thread very taut-all that can be
managed later She spins another
thread from the end of this diagonally
to another point, whence she goes to
third anchorage, fourth. even n
NTH. Now she has clear central in
closed at irregular angles. The in
closing threads have been spun of pure
silk.
The next thing is to go over them
with viscid emulation which will
make whatever touches them stick
When that is lone she spins the web
proper. runnins, from side to side. with
a thread trailing behind her. until ali
the web-spokes are in place. Before
she weaveS the rays together with
crossing threads. she must know that
both they and the anchor threads are
dependable. So she runs about,
stretching. strainng every one, and if
it breaks spinning it over. Where
there is pronounced slack she either
takes it up by splicing a new thread
next the center and fastening it out
side, or by attaching light weights
pebbles, bits of stick Gnd so on, to the
webs lower edge.
Now begins the | It work-run-
ming round and round. The cross
ing threads are span double
first very fine. then with coars-
Ell ply. At the middle where the
ray threads meet and cross, she
either builds herself a snug station,
or after everything is done cuts away
the tangle and leaves a small clear
space. This is the parlor into which
the traditional fly was invited-with
disastrous results-but Madame
Spider does not habitually sit in it.
Instead she turks out of sight, am
pushed at the foot of q ray thread.
When vibrations tell of prey. she
seeks the parlor. locates the disturb
ance and straightway goes to see about
it. a strong winged insect as a wasp
or bumblebee. left to himself will
soon break out of her fiimsy tolls.
lnOuSH lie l1dS 81 liiS Wings
in doing it that he never flies again.
So she takes no chances. Nimbly she
runs down the nearest ray thread,
spinning as she runs. When she is a
little beyond her victim she dexterous-
" loops her new cable around him,
draws it taut. and faStens it.
When this had been repeated half
dozen times, the prey bound wing and
foot. is ready for removal. She fas-
tens a new thread at the parlor,
loops it around the fly or wasp, car
ries it back. and pulls it as tight as
she can. Sometimes she moves her
prey a whole half inch with one thread.
The next thing is to cut away all the
outer threads that hold him. This she
does quickly, then spins a new caple
from the parlor. Thus spinning and
cutting, unless the prey be dispropor-
tionately big, she brings it at last TO
the parlor, or very close about 1t. ana
there sucks its juices in leisurely con-
tent But if it is too big to be moved,
she gnaws off a leg at a time, SUCKS
them and after a while attacks the
carcass. Sometimes, with fierce
singing insects. she bites them just
back of the neck so as to paralyZe
them.