Alaska sentinel., 1908-03-19
SPIDERS AND THEIR HOMES.
Webs Are scientifically Made by the
 Little Insects.

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 Little Insects.
 At the 409th corporate meeting of the Boston Scientific society recently James H. Emerson spoke on the subject of Spiders and Their Webs" Not only did he outline the habits of the spiders and show pictures of them and their webs. but he gave an object lesson Tn weps Dy making the essential par1 of geometrical web in the same nian- ner and In the same order as the spider would herself, says the Boston Trans cript Many interesting facts were re- lated. The spinnerets are of the same nature as the little cones with which confectioners produce the sugar designs on frosted cakes; there are many of them, each one connected with a gland in the body of the spider. Sometimes half the body of the creature is used for these glands. The spider can keep the threads apart or can run them to- gether Into one and 1t can produce diff ferent kinds of thread. This Is a silk and is used for different purposes, for webs, to make nests, to inclose cocoons, etc. The ordinary white thread Is for the nests, while that of the cocoons is oftentimes colored. Then the thread may be dry or sticky; 1t may be fine and regular or coarse and rough, ac- cordlng to the use that the spider wishes to make of It.
 Next Mir. Emerson gave consideration to the webs. About half the spiders do not make webs but catch their prey, which consists of insects, by springng upon them. The webs that are made are of different kinds and for different purposes. The most common and familiar one Is that which Is seen in the grass on dewy mornings This Is merely a level floor on which the spider may run out and catch his food. The web is not of sticky thread. It may last an entire season, but Is re paired and strengthened from time to time. These nests are furnished with a tube of web, in which the spider hides
 The distribution of spiders Is cn rious feature, to which the speaker al luded in passing. There are some. for example, that live In the house. They are never seen out of doors. yet they have been carried to all parts of the earth just as rats and mice have been.
 Another kind of web Is In large meshes, but of no definite shape. These usually have thinner portion which is the spiders nest. Insects fly ing about get into the meshes and are entagled, but are not held by any glu- tlnous nature of the thread. In all the cobwebs except the flat kind, which have already been noted, the spider lives down on the under side of the web. Then there are dome webs, in which the spider lives within the dome and runs about within 1t to catch the insect that Is entangled. These webs are kept always clean. even bits of leaves are taken out by the spider. Then there Is kind of web in which great, crinkly, rough threads are placed upon a framework of finer ones. These by their roughness entangle the files which the spider catches and eats. Then there are the geometrical webs. This was the kind that Mir. Emerson made with large tatting shuttle and string. The spider first establishes the radial lines, then, beginning at the cen ter, weaves outward coarse spiral. These constructions, which are really the scaffoldlng of the web, are of ordi- nary thread. Then beginning at the outer edge of the web the spider weaves In the finer meshes of sticky thread, biting out the original coarse spiral as 1t goes along. This sticky mesh never goes to the center. These webs catch the flies through their mucilaginous quality. Most of the work is done at night, and a single night is sufficient for the construction of new web. The measurements are by the sense of feel Ing. Many details and interesting facts about the habits of these industrious creatures enlivened the making of the thread model, which was two or three feet in diameter.