The tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1900-1902, 1902-02-27
rnkarrDrnp WIN.


- 80 "ANIAaA N"NNENANu
iineman. Indeed. be IL something
more. After his lines are stretched. be
eftahlisaes . central 70 which be
runs ~ s0on ~ any sort Of vibration
tells him that Frey il entangled any
where In hh Wsb. Ones Al central. be
listens . minute. then having gathered
the direcuon. shdes away 10 weave
stiii further nettine OF siiken web
about ths luckiws wasp or ~ that, has
fallen into HE clutches He wcald
more properly Be written she" A.
10 case Of 30 many insects the female
spider Il evaF 70 much bigger, more
powerful and more r~esourceful than
the male n substance spider web is
nearly identical with silk. But the
apihners Of q are far too wise 10 reel
4 up into cocoons. which may be plum
dered By men 70 feed the desire OF the
eyes, aad the pride Of life. Web spin
ming Is very wonderful work. The
workers indeed deserve high rank a.
civil engineers. and often deal with
knotty problems in ways b~espeadng
almost human Intelligence. as for in
stance when they spin loose threads
20 deity and With such nice caIcula-
ton to wind force that the loose ends
. e carried exactly TO the chosen spot.
often q couple OF yards away. and
there anchor themselves Of Lieir own
motion. II Is thus the fairy cables
which net trees and bonghs. and
stretch across all summer paths. are
set in place. They are invisible save
where the full sun glints upon them,
or else vhea a misty morning strings
them With devdrOps None the less
they hold arm. and serve as aerial pas
sageways along which the spiders run
10 and fro. safely And swiftly. Or
else they serve as suys TO brace the
main web. In spinning the spider
shows architeetnai genius 20 match
her engineering skill First she sur
yeys the site. then stretches across Il
q strong thread She Is not partieu-
lar sbout having this FIRST thread very
tsut-all that can be managed later.
She spins another thread from the end
Of this ~diagoualIy to another point
whence she goes to a third anchorage.
a fourth. even 4 fifth. Nov she has
q clear central iaclosed at irregular
angles The i~neiosing threads have been
spun OF pure silk The next thing Ia
to 50 over them with q viscid exuda-
ton which win make whatever touches
then rtiek When this is done she
spins the web proper. running from
side 10 side, with a thread trailing be-
hind her. until all The ~veb-spokes are
ia place. Before she veaves the rays
together with eTossing-threads. she
must know that both they and the
anchor threads are dependable. So
she runs about. stretching. strHining
Every one. and II Il breaks. spinning
ever. where there Is pronounced
tlaek she either takes Il up by Spite
ing a new thread next to the center.
and fastening II outside, or by attach
Ing light weights. pebbles. bits Of stick.
and so on. to the webs lower edge
Nov begins the last work-running
round and round The crossing tnreads
are spun double-arst very hne. thea
with 8 coarser ply. Al the middle,
where ms ray threads meet and eross.
she either builds herself q snug sta
ton. or aner everything is one cuts
s-av 4 tangIe sn" leaves q small
{ 80 space. This Is the parlor into
which The traditional fy was invited
with disastrous resplts-hut Madame
Spider does not habltually ait In
a. Instead she lurks out o. sight. am
pushed ~ the foot Of q ray thread
when vibrations tell OF prey, she seeks
the psglor. locates the disturbance.
and surslghtvRy goes TO see about H.
A strong winged insect. As . wasp or
eumhiebec. left TO himself. viii % o
break out OF her h!msy tolls, though
he may 10 sBtansl his wings in doing
{. .s-t he never n.es again. So she
takes no chances. Nimhiy she runs
down the nearest ray thread. spanning
es Sho runs. when she ls a ..ttle be-
yond her victim she de~xterously loops
her new cable round him. draws u
maI and tastsns a. when this had
been repeated half a dozen times. the
prey bound wing aud foot. IL ready
for removal She fastens a new thread
e. the parioF. loops Il around the ~
or wasp. carries Il back, and pulls Il
a. uEht a. shs can. Sometimes she
o ~~s her pres Ole half-inch with
o b tarcaa. The sext thing Is 10 cut
away al the outer threads that hold
bin. This she does quickly. then
talns . nes cable from the paFlor
thus apinnlnE and eating. unless the
ey BE- dispFoPoraonately bis. abe
brings Il a. last 10 The parioT, or very
e'ose about Il and there stuck IL
juices Ia leisareiy content but Il Il
is o big 20 BE- removed, she msws Oh
a lsg AZ q time. sucks them. and after
ssaile attacks Che carcass Sometimes.
' 4 her~es-stinEin~ insects, she bites
usln Just hack Of the neck 70 a. to
paraiyse them.