Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1906-11-28
WEB OF THE SPIDER.
The Many Uses 20 which It's SinguIn
spinner Puts M.

The Many Uses 10 which It's singular
spinner Puts NJ.
Spiders form good subjects for rainy
day study. and two hours spent I'm q
neglected garnet watching these clover
little beings will often arouse such in.
tcreSt that we shall be glad 20 devote
many days OF sunshine TO observing
those species which hunt and build and
live In the open fields. There is no in
sect I'm the world with moro than six
1 legs. and as n spider has eight ne Is
| therefore thrown out Of the company
Of butterflies. beetles ana waSpS and
| finds himself i'm n strange 0Ssemblage.
| Even 10 his nearest relatives he bears
| little resemblance. for when we real
/ lie that scorpions and horseshoe crabs
| must call him cousin we perceive that
/ he IS indeed an aberrant bouch on the
| tree OF creation.
Nature has provided spiders with an
organ filled always with liquid. which
on being exposed TO the air hardenS
and can be drawn out into the slender
threads which we know rs cobweb.
The siikworm incaSeS its body with n
mile or more OF cleaning silk. but
as the silkworm is concerned But spi-
ders have found hundred uses for
their cordage. some Of which are star
tlingly similar TO human Inventions
A list Of all the uses of cobwebs
would take much space, but of these
the most familiar is the snare set for
unwary flieS-the wonderfully ingen-
ious webs which sparkle with dew
among the grasses or stretch from bush
TO bush. The framework is Of web
bling. and upon this is woven the sticky
spiral which Is so elastic. 50 ethereal
and yet strong enough to entangle 4
good sized insect How knowing seems
the little worker as, the web and his
den Of COncealment being completed,
he spins strong cable from the center
Of the web to the entrance Of his
watchtOwer Then. when Il trembling
of his aerial spans warns him of a cap
ture. how eagerly be seizes his master
cable and jerks away on il. thus vibrat-
ing the whole structure and making
more certain the confusion Of his vic
tim.
Those spiders which leap upon their
prey instead of setting snareS for it
have still a use for their threads of
life, throwing out a cable as they leap
to break their fall il they miss their
foothold. What strangeNlse of the
cobweb is that Of the littS flying spi-
ders, Up they run to the top Of
post, elevate their abdomens and run
out several threads. which lengthen
and lengthen until the breeze catches
them, and away goes the wingleSS aero
naut for yards or for miles. rs fortune
may dictate, We wonder il he can
cut loose or pull in his balloon cables
ut will
most fascinating tale would unfold
could we discover all the uses Of cob
web when the spiders themselves are
through with It, Certain { is that our
ruby throated humming bird robs many
webs TO fasten together the plant down
and lichens which compose her dainty
nest
Search the pond and you will find
another member Of the spider family
swimming about at ease beneath the
surface, thoroughly aquatic In his
habits, but breathing n bubble of air
which he carries about with him.
When his supply is low, he swims to n
submarine castle Of silk, so air tight
that he can keep it filed with a large
bubble Of air. upon which he draws
from time to time.
And so we might go on enumerating
almost endless uses for the web which
is natures gift TO these little waits
who ages ago left the sea and have
won place for themselves in the sun
shine among the butterflies and flow
ers.-C. William Beebe In New York
Post.