Evening star., 1932-10-13

Recent national publicity obtained by
spiders did not at all surprise the ma
ture lovers Of the Nation.
The spider, they may think. deserves
all the publicity it gets. 1t Is an inter-
estirg eight-legged animal.
And no matter how much space 1t
receives or how many photographs are
taken Of it, the faithful spider does no.
mind.
1t doesn't know anything about it. of
course.
The mind Of the spider, such mind
as 1t has, Is concentrated solely on its
ancient mission of getting enough food.
Hence its elaborate web, the admira-
ton and despair of human artists.
Jewellers and others from time to
time have attempted to emulate the
craft of the spider, with what results
most people have seen.
Usually the jewelers. spider web is
clumsy. since even the finest gold wire
Is thick in comparison with the cobweb.
And then the meticulous attention of
the eight-legged creature to details is
never initiated exactly by the two
legged.
The goldsmith wants to hammer out
his web on the theory that mere ap-
pearance is all that counts.
The spider, on the other foot. builds
his as trap, and trap must be strong
enough to hold what it catches.
This requirement was amply demon
strated by the webs which held snakes
and national attention at one and the
same time.
Most people who have not personally
become interested in garden spiders
would not suspect that such gossamer
thing as the average web would be
strong enough to Withstand the LASH
ings of an angry and frightened snake.
For we suppose that snakes, even of the
harmless varieties, such as the garter,
do become both angry and frightened.
Held in the apparently slight yet
strong webbing. the small snakes found
themselves unable to extricate them
selves, thereby furnishing a nation
some amusement.
Neither spider nor snake, however,
found anything amusing about the spec
tacle. TIC the former it was the old
business Of getting dinner. and to the
latter a time of terror and struggle.
Those who have interested themselves
in such conflicts tend to believe that
the loser is finally put in self induced
state Of apathy which takes away from
the aspects of cruelty whici would be
there, especially in watching human
eyes.
This may be SO. 1t happens to be
one of those thoughts for which there
can be little proof one way or the other.
The greatest good which came out of
the national interest, the seven days
wonder of the spider VS.. snake contests,
was the renewed interest which nature
lovers everywhere took in spiders.
Every home and garden has its
spiders
Especially in we'll gardened homes
will these most curious Of animals be
plentiful.
No matter how careful the housewife
may be, tiny spiders will flnd their way
into the house.
They will set up their spinning in the
most unusual places.
Here is a windsor chair, between the
rungs of which to one side neat web
has been spun.
The strands are so fine that unless
the light happens to strike them in Just
a certain way they will never be noticed
As for the spinner himself. he is SO
tiny that he would be regarded, If seen.
as scarcely perceptible spot Of dust.
He is a real spider, however, legs and
all.
These creatures naturally select points
of vantage from their own standpoint.
II man has built any sort OF struc-
ture which furnishes them with tri-
angle of support. they are very happy
to take advantage of it.
Here is the stand Of an old-fashioned
barometer with its pear-shaped glass
hanging to hook projecting from the
stand
The glass has long snout, some
thing on the order of the spout of a
teakettle.