Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-02-29
A TINY HOUSEHOLDER.
Tho Spider as an Architect Shows
Wonderful Talent.

One who is DESTROYS of studying the
architectural gifts of spiders may cash
y 10 SO by observing the labors of the
little garden spider common to ali To-
caiisies These beautiful webs, crcu-
lar IN outline. with radiating threads
running from centre to circumference
and supporting series of concentric
lines, are regarded by naturalists as
the highest architectural achievement
OF the spider The maker of the-web
sits at its centre, where the slightest
vibration caused by the struggles of
an entangled victim is instantaneously
felt. The threads are SO fine as almost
to be invisible in some lights. and at
the same time so strong that no insect
not toe powerful for the spider to
overcome is able to break them.
How did the spider learn the art of
making these webs? Their great in
genGity and perfection of goemetric
form are conceded. The naturalist is
not satisfied with the reply that il is
a matter of instinct. He learns that
there are wide differences to be found
among the webs of different spiders,
and his observations lead him to think
that he can discern a sort of actual
progress. which he calls evolution, in
the art of web making among spiders
The common house spider spins a
web quite different from that of the
garden spider The house spiders web
consists of silken tube hidden in a
dark corner with an irregular sheet of
closely woven meshes spread before
it, The tube is the spiders lurking
hole aud place of refuge; the outspread
web is it's snare. The wolf spider
makes a tubular hole with a hinged
door for refuge, and spreads no
snare. relying entirely on it's own Prov
ess to overcome the unsuspecting vic
tim. Still another species of spider
constructs far simpler tube without
any lid or door.
According to the best authorities
these different kinds of webs or nests
represents so many stages of develop
ment. There are naturalists, who are
of the opinion that at the beginning
the only kind of web than any spider
knew how to spin was a simple CO.
coon intended to protect it's eggs. Then
web for the protection of the spider
itself from its enemies was woven
around the cocoon. This web had an
opening for ingress and egress, and
such webs. intended for use only dur
ing the time that the eggs are hatch
ing, are still spun by some species of
spiders. The next step was the devel-
opment of snare 1t has been sug
gested this may have resulted from
the accidental spinning of threads over
and around the opening of tubular
retreat surrounding a cocoon, This was
further developed in the outspread net
of the house spider, and it reached it's
highest form when the garden spider
learned to construct its beautifully ra-
dated web
In all this there may be discerned
some resemblance to the progress of
architecture among men. The earliest
representatives of the human race
We're content to dwell in caves and
rudely constructed huts. Then more
elaborate dwelling places and build
ings intended for other purposes Were
constructed. until. by successive steps,
advancing, as has the spider, we have
arrived at the temples, palaces and
houses of civilized life.-N. Y. Press.