The Savannah morning news., 1901-01-06

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 a strong thread. She is not par
ticular about having this first thread very
taut-aH that can be managed later. She
spins another thread from the end of this
diagonally to another point. whence sh.
goes to a third anchorage, a fourth even
a fifth. Now she has a clear central in
closed at irregular angles. The inclosing
threads have been spun of pyre silk.
The next thing is to go over them with
viscid emulation which Will make what
ever touches them stick. When that is
finished, she spins the web proper, run
ming from side TO SIDE with a thread
trailing behind her, until all 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, straining every
one, and IL 1t breaks spinning II over.
Where there is pronounced slack she eth
er takes 1t up by splicing a new thread
next the center, and fastening 1t outside,
or by attaching light weights, pebbles.
bits Of stick and so on, to the webs low
or edge.
Now begins the last work-running
round and round. The crossing threads are
spun double-first very fine, then with q
coarser ply. At the middle where the ray
threads meet and cross, she either builds
herself a snug station, or after everything
Il hA
"parlor" into which the traditional fly wds
invited-with disastrous results-but Mad
anne Spider does not habitually sit in H.
Instead she turks out of sigh, ambushed
at the foot Of ray thread. When vibra-
lions tell OF prey, she seeks the parlor, To-
Gates the disturbance, and straishtway
goes TO see about It. A strongwinged in
sect, as a wasp or humble bee, left 10 him.
self will soon break out OF her flmy tolls
though he may so entangle his wings IN
doing it he never flies again. SO she takes
no chances. Nimbiy she runs down the
nearest ray-thread. spinning as she runs.
When she is a little beyond her victim,
she dexterously loops her new cable
around him, draws It taut, and fastens
H. When this has been repeated half
dozen times. the prey Is bound wing and
foot, is ready for removal. She tastens
a new thread at the parior, loops II
around the fly or wasp, carries II back,
and pulls It as tight as she can. some
times 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 cable from the Darlor. THUS
spinning and cutting, unless the prey be
disproportonately big, snc brings e az
last to the parlor, or very close abolt IL,
and there sucks its juices In leisurely con-
tent. But II II IS too big 20 1e moved
she gnaws off, leg OF a time, sucks
them, and after a while attacks the car
cass Sometimes, with ferce-stinging in
sects. she bites them Just back Of the
neck so as TO paralyze them.
Martha McCmloch Williams.
II wish TO see a bonnet said Miss
Passee, aged 49,
For yourself. mlss?" inquired the
French miliner.