第4章

Iputthebunchladenwithbeastiesonasmalltable，intheshade，beforetheopenwindow。Soon，theexoduscommences，butslowlyandunsteadily。Therearehesitations，retrogressions，perpendicularfallsattheendofathread，ascentsthatbringthehangingSpiderupagain。Inshortmuchadoforapoorresult。

Asmatterscontinuetodrag，itoccurstome，ateleveno’clock，totakethebundleofbrush-woodswarmingwiththelittleSpiders，alleagertobeoff，andplaceitonthewindow-sill，intheglareofthesun。Afterafewminutesofheatandlight，thesceneassumesaverydifferentaspect。Theemigrantsruntothetopofthetwigs，bustleaboutactively。Itbecomesabewilderingrope-yard，wherethousandsoflegsaredrawingthehempfromthespinnerets。

Idonotseetheropesmanufacturedandsentfloatingatthemercyoftheair；butIguesstheirpresence。

ThreeorfourSpidersstartatatime，eachgoingherownwayindirectionsindependentofherneighbours’。Allaremovingupwards，allareclimbingsomesupport，ascanbeperceivedbythenimblemotionoftheirlegs。Moreover，theroadisvisiblebehindtheclimber，itisofdoublethickness，thankstoanaddedthread。

Then，atacertainheight，individualmovementceases。Thetinyanimalsoarsinspaceandshines，litupbythesun。Softlyitsways，thensuddenlytakesflight。

Whathashappened？Thereisaslightbreezeoutside。Thefloatingcablehassnappedandthecreaturehasgoneoff，borneonitsparachute。Iseeitdriftingaway，showing，likeaspotoflight，againstthedarkfoliageofthenearcypresses，somefortyfeetdistant。Itriseshigher，itcrossesoverthecypress-screen，itdisappears。Othersfollow，somehigher，somelower，hitherandthither。

Butthethronghasfinisheditspreparations；thehourhascometodisperseinswarms。Wenowsee，fromthecrestofthebrushwood，acontinuoussprayofstarters，whoshootuplikemicroscopicprojectilesandmountinaspreadingcluster。Intheend，itislikethebouquetatthefinishofapyrotechnicdisplay，thesheafofrocketsfiredsimultaneously。Thecomparisoniscorrectdowntothedazzlinglightitself。Flaminginthesunlikesomanygleamingpoints，thelittleSpidersarethesparksofthatlivingfirework。Whataglorioussend-off！Whatanentranceintotheworld！Clutchingitsaeronauticthread，theminutecreaturemountsinanapotheosis。

Soonerorlater，nearerorfarther，thefallcomes。Tolive，wehavetodescend，oftenverylow，alas！TheCrestedLarkcrumblesthemule-droppingsintheroadandthuspicksuphisfood，theoatengrainwhichhewouldneverfindbysoaringinthesky，histhroatswollenwithsong。Wehavetodescend；thestomach’sinexorableclaimsdemandit。TheSpiderling，therefore，touchesland。Gravity，temperedbytheparachute，iskindtoher。

Therestofherstoryescapesme。WhatinfinitelytinyMidgesdoesshecapturebeforepossessingthestrengthtostabherBee？Whatarethemethods，whatthewilesofatomcontendingwithatom？I

knownot。Weshallfindheragaininspring，grownquitelargeandcrouchingamongtheflowerswhencetheBeetakestoll。

CHAPTERIX:THEGARDENSPIDERS:BUILDINGTHEWEB

Thefowling-snareisoneofman’singeniousvillainies。Withlines，pegsandpoles，twolarge，earth-colourednetsarestretchedupontheground，onetotheright，theothertotheleftofabaresurface。Alongcord，pulled，attherightmoment，bythefowler，whohidesinabrushwoodhut，worksthemandbringsthemtogethersuddenly，likeapairofshutters。

Dividedbetweenthetwonetsarethecagesofthedecoy-birds——

LinnetsandChaffinches，GreenfinchesandYellowhammers，BuntingsandOrtolans——sharp-earedcreatureswhich，onperceivingthedistantpassageofaflockoftheirownkind，forthwithutterashortcallingnote。Oneofthem，theSambe，anirresistibletempter，hopsaboutandflapshiswingsinapparentfreedom。Abitoftwinefastenshimtohisconvict’sstake。When，wornwithfatigueanddrivendesperatebyhisvainattemptstogetaway，thesuffererliesdownflatandrefusestodohisduty，thefowlerisabletostimulatehimwithoutstirringfromhishut。Alongstringsetsinmotionalittleleverworkingonapivot。Raisedfromthegroundbythisdiabolicalcontrivance，thebirdflies，fallsdownandfliesupagainateachjerkofthecord。

Thefowlerwaits，inthemildsunlightoftheautumnmorning。

Suddenly，greatexcitementinthecages。TheChaffincheschirptheirrallying-cry:

’Pinck！Pinck！’

Thereissomethinghappeninginthesky。TheSambe，quick！Theyarecoming，thesimpletons；theyswoopdownuponthetreacherousfloor。Witharapidmovement，themaninambushpullshisstring。

Thenetscloseandthewholeflockiscaught。

Manhaswildbeast’sbloodinhisveins。Thefowlerhastenstotheslaughter。Withhisthumb，hestiflesthebeatingofthecaptives’

hearts，stavesintheirskulls。Thelittlebirds，somanypiteousheadsofgame，willgotomarket，strungindozensonawirepassedthroughtheirnostrils。

ForscoundrellyingenuitytheEpeira’snetcanbearcomparisonwiththefowler’s；itevensurpassesitwhen，onpatientstudy，themainfeaturesofitssupremeperfectionstandrevealed。WhatrefinementofartforamessofFlies！Nowhere，inthewholeanimalkingdom，hastheneedtoeatinspiredamorecunningindustry。Ifthereaderwillmeditateuponthedescriptionthatfollows，hewillcertainlysharemyadmiration。

Firstofall，wemustwitnessthemakingofthenet；wemustseeitconstructedandseeitagainandagain，fortheplanofsuchacomplexworkcanonlybegraspedinfragments。To-day，observationwillgiveusonedetail；to-morrow，itwillgiveusasecond，suggestingfreshpointsofview；asourvisitsmultiply，anewfactiseachtimeaddedtothesumtotaloftheacquireddata，confirmingthosewhichcomebeforeordirectingourthoughtsalongunsuspectedpaths。

Thesnow-ballrollingoverthecarpetofwhitegrowsenormous，howeverscantyeachfreshlayerbe。Evensowithtruthinobservationalscience:itisbuiltupoftriflespatientlygatheredtogether。And，whilethecollectingofthesetriflesmeansthatthestudentofSpiderindustrymustnotbecharyofhistime，atleastitinvolvesnodistantandspeculativeresearch。

ThesmallestgardencontainsEpeirae，allaccomplishedweavers。

Inmyenclosure，whichIhavestockedcarefullywiththemostfamousbreeds，Ihavesixdifferentspeciesunderobservation，allofausefulsize，allfirst-classspinners。TheirnamesaretheBandedEpeira(Epeirafasciata，WALCK。)，theSilkyEpeira(E。

sericea，WALCK。)，theAngularEpeira(E。angulata，WALCK。)，thePale-tintedEpeira(E。pallida，OLIV。)，theDiademEpeira，orCrossSpider(E。diadema，CLERK。)，andtheCraterEpeira(E。cratera，WALCK。)。

Iamable，attheproperhours，allthroughthefineseason，toquestionthem，towatchthematwork，nowthisone，anonthat，accordingtothechancesoftheday。WhatIdidnotseeveryplainlyyesterdayIcanseethenextday，underbetterconditions，andonanyofthefollowingdays，untilthephenomenonunderobservationisrevealedinallclearness。

Letusgoeveryevening，stepbystep，fromoneborderoftallrosemariestothenext。Shouldthingsmovetooslowly，wewillsitdownatthefootoftheshrubs，oppositetherope-yard，wherethelightfallsfavourably，andwatchwithunwearyingattention。Eachtripwillbegoodforafactthatfillssomegapintheideasalreadygathered。Toappointone’sself，inthisway，aninspectorofSpiders’webs，formanyyearsinsuccessionandforlongseasons，meansjoininganotovercrowdedprofession，Iadmit。

Heavenknows，itdoesnotenableonetoputmoneyby！Nomatter:

themeditativemindreturnsfromthatschoolfullysatisfied。

TodescribetheseparateprogressoftheworkinthecaseofeachofthesixEpeiraementionedwouldbeauselessrepetition:allsixemploythesamemethodsandweavesimilarwebs，saveforcertaindetailsthatshallbesetforthlater。Iwill，therefore，sumupintheaggregatetheparticularssuppliedbyoneorotherofthem。

Mysubjects，inthefirstinstance，areyoungandboastbutaslightcorporation，veryfarremovedfromwhatitwillbeinthelateautumn。Thebelly，thewalletcontainingtherope-works，hardlyexceedsapeppercorninbulk。Thisslendernessonthepartofthespinstressesmustnotprejudiceusagainsttheirwork:

thereisnoparitybetweentheirskillandtheiryears。TheadultSpiders，withtheirdisgracefulpaunches，candonobetter。

Moreover，thebeginnershaveoneverypreciousadvantagefortheobserver:theyworkbyday，workeveninthesun，whereastheoldonesweaveonlyatnight，atunseasonablehours。Thefirstshowusthesecretsoftheirloomswithoutmuchdifficulty；theothersconcealthemfromus。WorkstartsinJuly，acoupleofhoursbeforesunset。

Thespinstressesofmyenclosurethenleavetheirdaytimehiding-

places，selecttheirpostsandbegintospin，onehere，anotherthere。Therearemanyofthem；wecanchoosewhereweplease。Letusstopinfrontofthisone，whomwesurpriseintheactoflayingthefoundationsofthestructure。Withoutanyappreciableorder，sherunsabouttherosemary-hedge，fromthetipofonebranchtoanotherwithinthelimitsofsomeeighteeninches。Gradually，sheputsathreadinposition，drawingitfromherwire-millwiththecombsattachedtoherhind-legs。Thispreparatoryworkpresentsnoappearanceofaconcertedplan。TheSpidercomesandgoesimpetuously，asthoughatrandom；shegoesup，comesdown，goesupagain，divesdownagainandeachtimestrengthensthepointsofcontactwithintricatemooringsdistributedhereandthere。Theresultisascantyanddisorderedscaffolding。

Isdisorderedtheword？Perhapsnot。TheEpeira’seye，moreexperiencedinmattersofthissortthanmine，hasrecognizedthegenerallieoftheland；andtherope-fabrichasbeenerectedaccordingly:itisveryinaccurateinmyopinion，butverysuitablefortheSpider’sdesigns。Whatisitthatshereallywants？Asolidframetocontainthenetworkoftheweb。Theshapelessstructurewhichshehasjustbuiltfulfilsthedesiredconditions:itmarksoutaflat，freeandperpendiculararea。

Thisisallthatisnecessary。

Thewholework，forthatmatter，isnowsooncompleted；itisdonealloveragain，eachevening，fromtoptobottom，fortheincidentsofthechasedestroyitinanight。Thenetisasyettoodelicatetoresistthedesperatestrugglesofthecapturedprey。Ontheotherhand，theadults’net，whichisformedofstouterthreads，isadaptedtolastsometime；andtheEpeiragivesitamorecarefully-constructedframe-work，asweshallseeelsewhere。

Aspecialthread，thefoundationoftherealnet，isstretchedacrosstheareasocapriciouslycircumscribed。Itisdistinguishedfromtheothersbyitsisolation，itspositionatadistancefromanytwigthatmightinterferewithitsswayinglength。Itneverfailstohave，inthemiddle，athickwhitepoint，formedofalittlesilkcushion。Thisisthebeaconthatmarksthecentreofthefutureedifice，thepostthatwillguidetheEpeiraandbringorderintothewildernessoftwistsandturns。

Thetimehascometoweavethehunting-snare。TheSpiderstartsfromthecentre，whichbearsthewhitesign-post，and，runningalongthetransversalthread，hurriedlyreachesthecircumference，thatistosay，theirregularframeenclosingthefreespace。

Stillwiththesamesuddenmovement，sherushesfromthecircumferencetothecentre；shestartsagainbackwardsandforwards，makesfortheright，theleft，thetop，thebottom；shehoistsherselfup，divesdown，climbsupagain，runsdownandalwaysreturnstothecentrallandmarkbyroadsthatslantinthemostunexpectedmanner。Eachtime，aradiusorspokeislaid，here，there，orelsewhere，inwhatlookslikemaddisorder。

Theoperationissoerraticallyconductedthatittakesthemostunremittingattentiontofollowitatall。TheSpiderreachesthemarginoftheareabyoneofthespokesalreadyplaced。Shegoesalongthismarginforsomedistancefromthepointatwhichshelanded，fixesherthreadtotheframeandreturnstothecentrebythesameroadwhichshehasjusttaken。

Thethreadobtainedonthewayinabrokenline，partlyontheradiusandpartlyontheframe，istoolongfortheexactdistancebetweenthecircumferenceandthecentralpoint。Onreturningtothispoint，theSpideradjustsherthread，stretchesittothecorrectlength，fixesitandcollectswhatremainsonthecentralsignpost。Inthecaseofeachradiuslaid，thesurplusistreatedinthesamefashion，sothatthesignpostcontinuestoincreaseinsize。Itwasfirstaspeck；itisnowalittlepellet，orevenasmallcushionofacertainbreadth。

WeshallseepresentlywhatbecomesofthiscushionwhereontheSpider，thatniggardlyhousewife，layshersaved-upbitsofthread；

forthemoment，wewillnotethattheEpeiraworksitupwithherlegsafterplacingeachspoke，teazlesitwithherclaws，matsitintofeltwithnoteworthydiligence。Insodoing，shegivesthespokesasolidcommonsupport，somethinglikethehubofourcarriage-wheels。

Theeventualregularityoftheworksuggeststhattheradiiarespuninthesameorderinwhichtheyfigureintheweb，eachfollowingimmediatelyuponitsnextneighbour。Matterspassinanothermanner，whichatfirstlookslikedisorder，butwhichisreallyajudiciouscontrivance。Aftersettingafewspokesinonedirection，theEpeirarunsacrosstotheothersidetodrawsomeintheoppositedirection。Thesesuddenchangesofcoursearehighlylogical；theyshowushowproficienttheSpiderisinthemechanicsofrope-construction。Weretheytosucceedoneanotherregularly，thespokesofonegroup，havingnothingasyettocounteractthem，woulddistorttheworkbytheirstraining，wouldevendestroyitforlackofastablersupport。Beforecontinuing，itisnecessarytolayaconversegroupwhichwillmaintainthewholebyitsresistance。Anycombinationofforcesactinginonedirectionmustbeforthwithneutralizedbyanotherintheoppositedirection。

ThisiswhatourstaticsteachusandwhattheSpiderputsintopractice；sheisapastmistressofthesecretsofrope-building，withoutservinganapprenticeship。

Onewouldthinkthatthisinterruptedandapparentlydisorderedlabourmustresultinaconfusedpieceofwork。Wrong:theraysareequidistantandformabeautifully-regularorb。Theirnumberisacharacteristicmarkofthedifferentspecies。TheAngularEpeiraplaces21inherweb，theBandedEpeira32，theSilkyEpeira42。Thesenumbersarenotabsolutelyfixed；butthevariationisveryslight。

Nowwhichofuswouldundertake，off-hand，withoutmuchpreliminaryexperimentandwithoutmeasuring-instruments，todivideacircleintoagivenquantityofsectorsofequalwidth？TheEpeirae，thoughweightedwithawalletandtotteringonthreadsshakenbythewind，effectthedelicatedivisionwithoutstoppingtothink。

Theyachieveitbyamethodwhichseemsmadaccordingtoournotionsofgeometry。Outofdisordertheyevolveorder。

Wemustnot，however，givethemmorethantheirdue。Theanglesareonlyapproximatelyequal；theysatisfythedemandsoftheeye，butcannotstandthetestofstrictmeasurement。Mathematicalprecisionwouldbesuperfluoushere。Nomatter，weareamazedattheresultobtained。HowdoestheEpeiracometosucceedwithherdifficultproblem，sostrangelymanaged？Iamstillaskingmyselfthequestion。

Thelayingoftheradiiisfinished。TheSpidertakesherplaceinthecentre，onthelittlecushionformedoftheinauguralsign-postandthebitsofthreadleftover。Stationedonthissupport，sheslowlyturnsroundandround。Sheisengagedonadelicatepieceofwork。Withanextremelythinthread，shedescribesfromspoketospoke，startingfromthecentre，aspirallinewithveryclosecoils。Thecentralspacethusworkedattains，intheadults’webs，thedimensionsofthepalmofone’shand；intheyoungerSpiders’

webs，itismuchsmaller，butitisneverabsent。ForreasonswhichIwillexplaininthecourseofthisstudy，Ishallcallit，infuture，the’resting-floor。’

Thethreadnowbecomesthicker。Thefirstcouldhardlybeseen；

thesecondisplainlyvisible。TheSpidershiftsherpositionwithgreatslantingstrides，turnsafewtimes，movingfartherandfartherfromthecentre，fixesherlineeachtimetothespokewhichshecrossesandatlastcomestoastopattheloweredgeoftheframe。Shehasdescribedaspiralwithcoilsofrapidly-

increasingwidth。Theaveragedistancebetweenthecoils，eveninthestructuresoftheyoungEpeirae，isonecentimetre。{29}

Letusnotbemisledbytheword’spiral，’whichconveysthenotionofacurvedline。AllcurvesarebanishedfromtheSpiders’work；

nothingisusedbutthestraightlineanditscombinations。Allthatisaimedatisapolygonallinedrawninacurveasgeometryunderstandsit。Tothispolygonalline，aworkdestinedtodisappearastherealtoilsarewoven，Iwillgivethenameofthe’auxiliaryspiral。’Itsobjectistosupplycross-bars，supportingrungs，especiallyintheouterzone，wheretheradiiaretoodistantfromoneanothertoaffordasuitablegroundwork。ItsobjectisalsotoguidetheEpeiraintheextremelydelicatebusinesswhichsheisnowabouttoundertake。

But，beforethat，onelasttaskbecomesessential。Theareaoccupiedbythespokesisveryirregular，beingmarkedoutbythesupportsofthebranch，whichareinfinitelyvariable。Thereareangularnicheswhich，ifskirtedtooclosely，woulddisturbthesymmetryofthewebabouttobeconstructed。TheEpeiraneedsanexactspacewhereingraduallytolayherspiralthread。Moreover，shemustnotleaveanygapsthroughwhichherpreymightfindanoutlet。

Anexpertinthesematters，theSpidersoonknowsthecornersthathavetobefilledup。Withanalternatingmovement，firstinthisdirection，theninthat，shelays，uponthesupportoftheradii，athreadthatformstwoacuteanglesatthelateralboundariesofthefaultypartanddescribesazigzaglinenotwhollyunliketheornamentknownasthefret。

Thesharpcornershavenowbeenfilledwithfretsoneveryside；

thetimehascometoworkattheessentialpart，thesnaring-webforwhichalltherestisbutasupport。Clingingontheonehandtotheradii，ontheothertothechordsoftheauxiliaryspiral，theEpeiracoversthesamegroundaswhenlayingthespiral，butintheoppositedirection:formerly，shemovedawayfromthecentre；

nowshemovestowardsitandwithcloserandmorenumerouscircles。

Shestartsfromthebaseoftheauxiliaryspiral，neartheframe。

Whatfollowsisdifficulttoobserve，forthemovementsareveryquickandspasmodic，consistingofaseriesofsuddenlittlerushes，swaysandbendsthatbewildertheeye。Itneedscontinuousattentionandrepeatedexaminationtodistinguishtheprogressoftheworkhoweverslightly。

Thetwohind-legs，theweavingimplements，keepgoingconstantly。

Letusnamethemaccordingtotheirpositiononthework-floor。I

callthelegthatfacesthecentreofthecoil，whentheanimalmoves，the’innerleg；’theoneoutsidethecoilthe’outerleg。’

Thelatterdrawsthethreadfromthespinneretandpassesittotheinnerleg，which，withagracefulmovement，laysitontheradiuscrossed。Atthesametime，thefirstlegmeasuresthedistance；itgripsthelastcoilplacedinpositionandbringswithinasuitablerangethatpointoftheradiuswheretothethreadistobefixed。

Assoonastheradiusistouched，thethreadstickstoitbyitsownglue。Therearenoslowoperations，noknots:thefixingisdoneofitself。

Meanwhile，turningbynarrowdegrees，thespinstressapproachestheauxiliarychordsthathavejustservedashersupport。When，intheend，thesechordsbecometooclose，theywillhavetogo；theywouldimpairthesymmetryofthework。TheSpider，therefore，clutchesandholdsontotherungsofahigherrow；shepicksup，onebyone，asshegoesalong，thosewhichareofnomoreusetoherandgathersthemintoafine-spunballatthecontact-pointofthenextspoke。Hencearisesaseriesofsilkyatomsmarkingthecourseofthedisappearingspiral。

Thelighthastofallfavourablyforustoperceivethesespecks，theonlyremainsoftheruinedauxiliarythread。Onewouldtakethemforgrainsofdust，ifthefaultlessregularityoftheirdistributiondidnotremindusofthevanishedspiral。Theycontinue，stillvisible，untilthefinalcollapseofthenet。

AndtheSpider，withoutastopofanykind，turnsandturnsandturns，drawingnearertothecentreandrepeatingtheoperationoffixingherthreadateachspokewhichshecrosses。Agoodhalf-

hour，anhourevenamongthefull-grownSpiders，isspentonspiralcircles，tothenumberofaboutfiftyfortheweboftheSilkyEpeiraandthirtyforthoseoftheBandedandtheAngularEpeira。

Atlast，atsomedistancefromthecentre，onthebordersofwhatI

havecalledtheresting-floor，theSpiderabruptlyterminatesherspiralwhenthespacewouldstillallowofacertainnumberofturns。Weshallseethereasonofthissuddenstoppresently。

Next，theEpeira，nomatterwhich，youngorold，hurriedlyflingsherselfuponthelittlecentralcushion，pullsitoutandrollsitintoaballwhichIexpectedtoseethrownaway。Butno:herthriftynaturedoesnotpermitthiswaste。Sheeatsthecushion，atfirstaninaugurallandmark，thenaheapofbitsofthread；sheoncemoremeltsinthedigestivecruciblewhatisnodoubtintendedtoberestoredtothesilkentreasury。Itisatoughmouthful，difficultforthestomachtoelaborate；still，itispreciousandmustnotbelost。Theworkfinisheswiththeswallowing。Thenandthere，theSpiderinstalsherself，headdownwards，atherhunting-

postinthecentreoftheweb。

Theoperationwhichwehavejustseengivesrisetoareflection。

Menarebornright-handed。Thankstoalackofsymmetrythathasneverbeenexplained，ourrightsideisstrongerandreadierinitsmovementsthanourleft。Theinequalityisespeciallynoticeableinthetwohands。Ourlanguageexpressesthissupremacyofthefavouredsideinthetermsdexterity，adroitnessandaddress，allofwhichalludetotherighthand。

Istheanimal，onitsside，right-handed，left-handed，orunbiased？

WehavehadopportunitiesofshowingthattheCricket，theGrasshopperandmanyothersdrawtheirbow，whichisontherightwing-case，overthesoundingapparatus，whichisontheleftwing-

case。Theyareright-handed。

WhenyouandItakeanunpremeditatedturn，wespinroundonourrightheel。Theleftside，theweaker，movesonthepivotoftheright，thestronger。Inthesameway，nearlyalltheMolluscsthathavespiralshellsrolltheircoilsfromlefttoright。Amongthenumerousspeciesinbothlandandwaterfauna，onlyaveryfewareexceptionalandturnfromrighttoleft。

Itwouldbeinterestingtotryandworkouttowhatextentthatpartofthezoologicalkingdomwhichboastsatwo-sidedstructureisdividedintoright-handedandleft-handedanimals。Candissymetry，thatsourceofcontrasts，beageneralrule？Orarethereneutrals，endowedwithequalpowersofskillandenergyonbothsides？Yes，thereare；andtheSpiderisoneofthem。Sheenjoystheveryenviableprivilegeofpossessingaleftsidewhichisnolesscapablethantheright。Sheisambidextrous，aswitnessthefollowingobservations。

Whenlayinghersnaring-thread，everyEpeiraturnsineitherdirectionindifferently，asaclosewatchwillprove。Reasonswhosesecretescapesusdeterminethedirectionadopted。Oncethisortheothercourseistaken，thespinstressdoesnotchangeit，evenafterincidentsthatsometimesoccurtodisturbtheprogressofthework。ItmayhappenthataGnatgetscaughtinthepartalreadywoven。TheSpiderthereuponabruptlyinterruptsherlabours，hastensuptotheprey，bindsitandthenreturnstowhereshestoppedandcontinuesthespiralinthesameorderasbefore。

Atthecommencementofthework，gyrationinonedirectionbeingemployedaswellasgyrationintheother，weseethat，whenmakingherrepeatedwebs，thesameEpeiraturnsnowherrightside，nowherlefttothecentreofthecoil。Well，aswehavesaid，itisalwayswiththeinnerhind-leg，thelegnearerthecentre，thatistosay，insomecasestherightandinsomecasestheleftleg，thatsheplacesthethreadinposition，anexceedinglydelicateoperationcallingforthedisplayofexquisiteskill，becauseofthequicknessoftheactionandtheneedforpreservingstrictlyequaldistances。Anyoneseeingthislegworkingwithsuchextremeprecision，therightlegto-day，thelefttomorrow，becomesconvincedthattheEpeiraishighlyambidextrous。

CHAPTERX:THEGARDENSPIDERS:MYNEIGHBOUR

AgedoesnotmodifytheEpeira’stalentinanyessentialfeature。

Astheyoungworked，sodotheold，thericherbyayear’sexperience。Therearenomastersnorapprenticesintheirguild；

allknowtheircraftfromthemomentthatthefirstthreadislaid。

Wehavelearntsomethingfromthenovices:letusnowlookintothematteroftheireldersandseewhatadditionaltasktheneedsofageimposeuponthem。

JulycomesandgivesmeexactlywhatIwishfor。Whilethenewinhabitantsaretwistingtheirropesontherosemariesintheenclosure，oneevening，bythelastgleamsoftwilight，IdiscoverasplendidSpider，withamightybelly，justoutsidemydoor。Thisoneisamatron；shedatesbacktolastyear；hermajesticcorpulence，soexceptionalatthisseason，proclaimsthefact。I

knowherfortheAngularEpeira(Epeiraangulata，WALCK。)，cladingreyandgirdledwithtwodarkstripesthatmeetinapointattheback。Thebaseofherabdomenswellsintoashortnippleoneitherside。

Thisneighbourwillcertainlyservemyturn，providedthatshedonotworktoolateatnight。Thingsbodewell:Icatchthebuxomoneintheactoflayingherfirstthreads。Atthisratemysuccessneednotbewonattheexpenseofsleep。And，infact，I

amable，throughoutthemonthofJulyandthegreaterpartofAugust，fromeighttoteno’clockintheevening，towatchtheconstructionoftheweb，whichismoreorlessruinednightlybytheincidentsofthechaseandbuiltupagain，nextday，whentooseriouslydilapidated。

Duringthetwostiflingmonths，whenthelightfailsandaspellofcoolnessfollowsuponthefurnace-heatoftheday，itiseasyforme，lanterninhand，towatchmyneighbour’svariousoperations。

Shehastakenupherabode，ataconvenientheightforobservation，betweenarowofcypress-treesandaclumpoflaurels，neartheentrancetoanalleyhauntedbyMoths。Thespotappearswell-

chosen，fortheEpeiradoesnotchangeitthroughouttheseason，thoughsherenewshernetalmosteverynight。

Punctuallyasdarknessfalls，ourwholefamilygoesandcallsuponher。Bigandlittle，westandamazedatherwealthofbellyandherexuberantsomersaultsinthemazeofquiveringropes；weadmirethefaultlessgeometryofthenetasitgraduallytakesshape。Allagleaminthelantern-light，theworkbecomesafairyorb，whichseemswovenofmoonbeams。

ShouldIlinger，inmyanxietytoclearupcertaindetails，thehousehold，whichbythistimeisinbed，waitsformyreturnbeforegoingtosleep:

’Whathasshebeendoingthisevening？’Iamasked。’Hasshefinishedherweb？HasshecaughtaMoth？’

Idescribewhathashappened。To-morrow，theywillbeinalesshurrytogotobed:theywillwanttoseeeverything，totheveryend。Whatdelightful，simpleeveningswehavespentlookingintotheSpider’sworkshop！

ThejournaloftheAngularEpeira，writtenupdaybyday，teachesus，firstofall，howsheobtainstheropesthatformtheframe-

workofthebuilding。Alldayinvisible，crouchingamidthecypress-leaves，theSpider，atabouteighto’clockintheevening，solemnlyemergesfromherretreatandmakesforthetopofabranch。Inthisexaltedposition，shesitsforsometimelayingherplanswithdueregardtothelocality；sheconsultstheweather，ascertainsifthenightwillbefine。Then，suddenly，withhereightlegswide-spread，sheletsherselfdropstraightdown，hangingtothelinethatissuesfromherspinnerets。Justastherope-makerobtainstheevenoutputofhishempbywalkingbackwards，sodoestheEpeiraobtainthedischargeofhersbyfalling。Itisextractedbytheweightofherbody。

Thedescent，however，hasnotthebrutespeedwhichtheforceofgravitywouldgiveit，ifuncontrolled。Itisgovernedbytheactionofthespinnerets，whichcontractorexpandtheirpores，orclosethementirely，atthefaller’spleasure。Andso，withgentlemoderationshepaysoutthislivingplumb-line，ofwhichmylanternclearlyshowsmetheplumb，butnotalwaystheline。Thegreatsquabseemsatsuchtimestobesprawlinginspace，withouttheleastsupport。

Shecomestoanabruptstoptwoinchesfromtheground；thesilk-

reelceasesworking。TheSpiderturnsround，clutchesthelinewhichshehasjustobtainedandclimbsupbythisroad，stillspinning。But，thistime，assheisnolongerassistedbytheforceofgravity，thethreadisextractedinanothermanner。Thetwohind-legs，withaquickalternateaction，drawitfromthewalletandletitgo。

Onreturningtoherstarting-point，ataheightofsixfeetormore，theSpiderisnowinpossessionofadoubleline，bentintoaloopandfloatinglooselyinacurrentofair。Shefixesherendwhereitsuitsherandwaitsuntiltheotherend，waftedbythewind，hasfasteneditslooptotheadjacenttwigs。

Thedesiredresultmaybeveryslowincoming。ItdoesnottiretheunfailingpatienceoftheEpeira，butitsoonwearsoutmine。

AndithashappenedtomesometimestocollaboratewiththeSpider。

Ipickupthefloatingloopwithastrawandlayitonabranch，ataconvenientheight。Thefoot-bridgeerectedwithmyassistanceisconsideredsatisfactory，justasthoughthewindhadplacedit。I

countthiscollaborationamongthegoodactionsstandingtomycredit。

Feelingherthreadfixed，theEpeirarunsalongitrepeatedly，fromendtoend，addingafibretoitoneachjourney。WhetherIhelpornot，thisformsthe’suspension-cable，’themainpieceoftheframe-work。Icallitacable，inspiteofitsextremethinness，becauseofitsstructure。Itlooksasthoughitweresingle，but，atthetwoends，itisseentodivideandspread，tuft-wise，intonumerousconstituentparts，whicharetheproductofasmanycrossings。Thesedivergingfibres，withtheirseveralcontact-

points，increasethesteadinessofthetwoextremities。

Thesuspension-cableisincomparablystrongerthantherestoftheworkandlastsforanindefinitetime。Thewebisgenerallyshatteredafterthenight’shuntingandisnearlyalwaysrewovenonthefollowingevening。Aftertheremovalofthewreckage，itismadealloveragain，onthesamesite，clearedofeverythingexceptthecablefromwhichthenewnetworkistohang。

Thelayingofthiscableisasomewhatdifficultmatter，becausethesuccessoftheenterprisedoesnotdependupontheanimal’sindustryalone。Ithastowaituntilabreezecarriesthelinetothepier-headinthebushes。Sometimes，acalmprevails；

sometimes，thethreadcatchesatanunsuitablepoint。Thisinvolvesgreatexpenditureoftime，withnocertaintyofsuccess。

Andso，whenoncethesuspension-cableisinbeing，wellandsolidlyplaced，theEpeiradoesnotchangeit，exceptoncriticaloccasions。Everyevening，shepassesandrepassesoverit，strengtheningitwithfreshthreads。

WhentheEpeiracannotmanageafallofsufficientdepthtogiveherthedoublelinewithitslooptobefixedatadistance，sheemploysanothermethod。Sheletsherselfdownandthenclimbsupagain，aswehavealreadyseen；but，thistime，thethreadendssuddenlyinafilmyhair-pencil，atuft，whosepartsremaindisjoined，justastheycomefromthespinneret’srose。Thenthissortofbushyfox’sbrushiscutshort，asthoughwithapairofscissors，andthewholethread，whenunfurled，doublesitslength，whichisnowenoughforthepurpose。ItisfastenedbytheendjoinedtotheSpider；theotherfloatsintheair，withitsspreadingtuft，whicheasilytanglesinthebushes。EvensomusttheBandedEpeiragotoworkwhenshethrowsherdaringsuspension-

bridgeacrossastream。

Oncethecableislaid，inthiswayorinthat，theSpiderisinpossessionofabasethatallowshertoapproachorwithdrawfromtheleafypiersatwill。Fromtheheightofthecable，theupperboundaryoftheprojectedworks，sheletsherselfsliptoaslightdepth，varyingthepointsofherfall。Sheclimbsupagainbythelineproducedbyherdescent。TheresultoftheoperationisadoublethreadwhichisunwoundwhiletheSpiderwalksalongherbigfoot-bridgetothecontact-branch，whereshefixesthefreeendofherthreadmoreorlesslowdown。Inthisway，sheobtains，torightandleft，afewslantingcross-bars，connectingthecablewiththebranches。

Thesecross-bars，intheirturn，supportothersinever-changingdirections。Whenthereareenoughofthem，theEpeiraneednolongerresorttofallsinordertoextractherthreads；shegoesfromonecordtothenext，alwayswire-drawingwithherhind-legsandplacingherproduceinpositionasshegoes。Thisresultsinacombinationofstraightlinesowningnoorder，savethattheyarekeptinone，nearlyperpendicularplane。Theymarkaveryirregularpolygonalarea，whereintheweb，itselfaworkofmagnificentregularity，shallpresentlybewoven。

Itisunnecessarytogoovertheconstructionofthemasterpieceagain；theyoungerSpidershavetaughtusenoughinthisrespect。

Inbothcases，weseethesameequidistantradiilaid，withacentrallandmarkforaguide；thesameauxiliaryspiral，thescaffoldingoftemporaryrungs，soondoomedtodisappear；thesamesnaring-spiral，withitsmazeofclosely-wovencoils。Letuspasson:otherdetailscallforourattention。

Thelayingofthesnaring-spiralisanexceedinglydelicateoperation，becauseoftheregularityofthework。Iwasbentuponknowingwhether，ifsubjectedtothedinofunaccustomedsounds，theSpiderwouldhesitateandblunder。Doessheworkimperturbably？Ordoessheneedundisturbedquiet？Asitis，I

knowthatmypresenceandthatofmylighthardlytroubleheratall。Thesuddenflashesemittedbymylanternhavenopowertodistractherfromhertask。Shecontinuestoturninthelightevenassheturnedinthedark，neitherfasternorslower。ThisisagoodomenfortheexperimentwhichIhaveinview。

ThefirstSundayinAugustisthefeastofthepatronsaintofthevillage，commemoratingtheFindingofSt。Stephen。ThisisTuesday，thethirddayoftherejoicings。Therewillbefireworksto-night，atnineo’clock，toconcludethemerry-makings。Theywilltakeplaceonthehigh-roadoutsidemydoor，atafewstepsfromthespotwheremySpiderisworking。Thespinstressisbusyuponhergreatspiralattheverymomentwhenthevillagebig-wigsarrivewithtrumpetanddrumandsmallboyscarryingtorches。

Moreinterestedinanimalpsychologythaninpyrotechnicaldisplays，IwatchtheEpeira’sdoings，lanterninhand。Thehullabalooofthecrowd，thereportsofthemortars，thecrackleofRomancandlesburstinginthesky，thehissoftherockets，therainofsparks，thesuddenflashesofwhite，redorbluelight:

noneofthisdisturbstheworker，whomethodicallyturnsandturnsagain，justasshedoesinthepeaceofordinaryevenings。

Oncebefore，thegunwhichIfiredundertheplane-treesfailedtotroubletheconcertoftheCicadae；to-day，thedazzlinglightofthefire-wheelsandthesplutterofthecrackersdonotavailtodistracttheSpiderfromherweaving。And，afterall，whatdifferencewoulditmaketomyneighbouriftheworldfellin！Thevillagecouldbeblownupwithdynamite，withoutherlosingherheadforsuchatrifle。Shewouldcalmlygoonwithherweb。

LetusreturntotheSpidermanufacturinghernetundertheusualtranquilconditions。Thegreatspiralhasbeenfinished，abruptly，ontheconfinesoftheresting-floor。Thecentralcushion，amatofendsofsavedthread，isnextpulledupandeaten。But，beforeindulginginthismouthful，whichclosestheproceedings，twoSpiders，theonlytwooftheorder，theBandedandtheSilkyEpeira，havestilltosigntheirwork。Abroad，whiteribbonislaid，inathickzigzag，fromthecentretotheloweredgeoftheorb。Sometimes，butnotalways，asecondbandofthesameshapeandoflesserlengthoccupiestheupperportion，oppositethefirst。

Iliketolookupontheseoddflourishesasconsolidating-gear。Tobeginwith，theyoungEpeiraeneverusethem。Forthemoment，heedlessofthefutureandlavishoftheirsilk，theyremaketheirwebnightly，eventhoughitbenonetoomuchdilapidatedandmightwellserveagain。Abrand-newsnareatsunsetistherulewiththem。Andthereislittleneedforincreasedsoliditywhentheworkhastobedoneagainonthemorrow。

Ontheotherhand，inthelateautumn，thefull-grownSpiders，feelinglaying-timeathand，aredriventopractiseeconomy，inviewofthegreatexpenditureofsilkrequiredfortheegg-bag。

Owingtoitslargesize，thenetnowbecomesacostlyworkwhichitwerewelltouseaslongaspossible，forfearoffindingone’sreservesexhaustedwhenthetimecomesfortheexpensiveconstructionofthenest。Forthisreason，orforotherswhichescapeme，theBandedandtheSilkyEpeiraethinkitwisetoproducedurableworkandtostrengthentheirtoilswithacross-

ribbon。TheotherEpeirae，whoareputtolessexpenseinthefabricationoftheirmaternalwallet——amerepill——areunacquaintedwiththezigzagbinderand，liketheyoungerSpiders，reconstructtheirwebalmostnightly。

Myfatneighbour，theAngularEpeira，consultedbythelightofalantern，shalltellushowtherenewalofthenetproceeds。Asthetwilightfades，shecomesdowncautiouslyfromherday-dwelling；

sheleavesthefoliageofthecypressesforthesuspension-cableofhersnare。Hereshestandsforsometime；then，descendingtoherweb，shecollectsthewreckageingreatarmfuls。Everything——

spiral，spokesandframe——israkedupwithherlegs。Onethingaloneissparedandthatisthesuspension-cable，thesturdypieceofworkthathasservedasafoundationforthepreviousbuildingsandwillserveforthenewafterreceivingafewstrengtheningrepairs。

ThecollectedruinsformapillwhichtheSpiderconsumeswiththesamegreedthatshewouldshowinswallowingherprey。Nothingremains。ThisisthesecondinstanceoftheSpiders’supremeeconomyoftheirsilk。Wehaveseenthem，afterthemanufactureofthenet，eatingthecentralguide-post，amodestmouthful；wenowseethemgobblingupthewholeweb，ameal。Refinedandturnedintofluidbythestomach，thematerialsoftheoldnetwillserveforotherpurposes。

Asgoonasthesiteisthoroughlycleared，theworkoftheframeandthenetbeginsonthesupportofthesuspension-cablewhichwasrespected。Woulditnotbesimplertorestoretheoldweb，whichmightservemanytimesyet，ifafewrentswerejustrepaired？Onewouldsayso；butdoestheSpiderknowhowtopatchherwork，asathriftyhousewifedarnsherlinen？Thatisthequestion。

Tomendseveredmeshes，toreplacebrokenthreads，toadjustthenewtotheold，inshort，torestoretheoriginalorderbyassemblingthewreckagewouldbeafar-reachingfeatofprowess，averyfineproofofgleamsofintelligence，capableofperformingrationalcalculations。Ourmendersexcelinthisclassofwork。

Theyhaveastheirguidetheirsense，whichmeasurestheholes，cutsthenewpiecetosizeandfitsitintoitsproperplace。DoestheSpiderpossessthecounterpartofthishabitofclearthinking？

Peopledeclareasmuch，without，apparently，lookingintothematterveryclosely。Theyseemabletodispensewiththeconscientiousobserver’sscruples，wheninflatingtheirbladderoftheory。Theygostraightahead；andthatisenough。Asforourselves，lessgreatlydaring，wewillfirstenquire；wewillseebyexperimentiftheSpiderreallyknowshowtorepairherwork。

TheAngularEpeira，thatnearneighbourwhohasalreadysuppliedmewithsomanydocuments，hasjustfinishedherweb，atnineo’clockintheevening。Itisasplendidnight，calmandwarm，favourabletotheroundsoftheMoths。Allpromisesgoodhunting。Atthemomentwhen，aftercompletingthegreatspiral，theEpeiraisabouttoeatthecentralcushionandsettledownuponherresting-floor，Icutthewebintwo，diagonally，withapairofsharpscissors。

Thesaggingofthespokes，deprivedoftheircounter-agents，producesanemptyspace，wideenoughforthreefingerstopassthrough。

TheSpiderretreatstohercableandlooksonwithoutbeinggreatlyfrightened。WhenIhavedone，shequietlyreturns。Shetakesherstandononeofthehalves，atthespotwhichwasthecentreoftheoriginalorb；but，asherlegsfindnofootingononeside，shesoonrealizesthatthesnareisdefective。Thereupon，twothreadsarestretchedacrossthebreach，twothreads，nomore；thelegsthatlackedafootholdspreadacrossthem；andhenceforththeEpeiramovesnomore，devotingherattentiontotheincidentsofthechase。

WhenIsawthosetwothreadslaid，joiningtheedgesoftherent，I

begantohopethatIwastowitnessamending-process:

’TheSpider，’saidItomyself，’willincreasethenumberofthosecross-threadsfromendtoendofthebreach；and，thoughtheaddedpiecemaynotmatchtherestofthework，atleastitwillfillthegapandthecontinuoussheetwillbeofthesameusepracticallyastheregularweb。’

Therealitydidnotanswertomyexpectation。Thespinstressmadenofurtherendeavourallnight。Shehuntedwithherrivennet，forwhatitwasworth；forIfoundthewebnextmorninginthesameconditionwhereinIhadleftitonthenightbefore。Therehadbeennomendingofanykind。

Thetwothreadsstretchedacrossthebreachevenmustnotbetakenforanattemptatrepairing。Findingnofootholdforherlegsononeside，theSpiderwenttolookintothestateofthingsand，insodoing，crossedtherent。Ingoingandreturning，sheleftathread，asisthecustomwithalltheEpeiraewhenwalking。Itwasnotadeliberatemending，butthemereresultofanuneasychangeofplace。

Perhapsthesubjectofmyexperimentthoughtitunnecessarytogotofreshtroubleandexpense，forthewebcanservequitewellasitis，aftermyscissor-cut:thetwohalvestogetherrepresenttheoriginalsnaring-surface。AllthattheSpider，seatedinacentralposition，needdoistofindtherequisitesupportforherspreadlegs。Thetwothreadsstretchedfromsidetosideofthecleftsupplyherwiththis，ornearly。Mymischiefdidnotgofarenough。Letusdevisesomethingbetter。

Nextday，thewebisrenewed，aftertheoldonehasbeenswallowed。

WhentheworkisdoneandtheEpeiraseatedmotionlessathercentralpost，Itakeastrawand，wieldingitdexterously，soastorespecttheresting-floorandthespokes，Ipullandrootupthespiral，whichdanglesintatters。Withitssnaring-threadsruined，thenetisuseless；nopassingMothwouldallowherselftobecaught。NowwhatdoestheEpeiradointhefaceofthisdisaster？

Nothingatall。Motionlessonherresting-floor，whichIhaveleftintact，sheawaitsthecaptureofthegame；sheawaitsitallnightinvainonherimpotentweb。Inthemorning，IfindthesnareasI

leftit。Necessity，themotherofinvention，hasnotpromptedtheSpidertomakeaslightrepairinherruinedtoils。

Possiblythisisaskingtoomuchofherresources。Thesilk-glandsmaybeexhaustedafterthelayingofthegreatspiral；andtorepeatthesameexpenditureimmediatelyisoutofthequestion。I

wantacasewhereintherecouldbenoappealtoanysuchexhaustion。Iobtainit，thankstomyassiduity。

WhileIamwatchingtherollingofthespiral，aheadofgamerushesfuntiltintotheunfinishedsnare。TheEpeirainterruptsherwork，hurriestothegiddy-pate，swatheshimandtakesherfillofhimwherehelies。Duringthestruggle，asectionofthewebhastornundertheweaver’sveryeyes。Agreatgapendangersthesatisfactoryworkingofthenet。Whatwillthespiderdointhepresenceofthisgrievousrent？

Noworneveristhetimetorepairthebrokenthreads:theaccidenthashappenedthisverymoment，betweentheanimal’slegs；

itiscertainlyknownand，moreover，therope-worksareinfullswing。Thistimethereisnoquestionoftheexhaustionofthesilk-warehouse。

Well，undertheseconditions，sofavourabletodarning，theEpeiradoesnomendingatall。Sheflingsasideherprey，aftertakingafewsipsatit，andresumesherspiralatthepointwheresheinterruptedittoattacktheMoth。Thetornpartremainsasitis。

Themachine-shuttleinourloomsdoesnotreverttothespoiledfabric；evensowiththeSpiderworkingatherweb。

Andthisisnocaseofdistraction，ofindividualcarelessness；allthelargespinstressessufferfromasimilarincapacityforpatching。TheBandedEpeiraandtheSilkyEpeiraarenoteworthyinthisrespect。TheAngularEpeiraremakesherwebnearlyeveryevening；theothertworeconstructtheirsonlyveryseldomandusethemevenwhenextremelydilapidated。Theygoonhuntingwithshapelessrags。Beforetheybringthemselvestoweaveanewweb，theoldonehastoberuinedbeyondrecognition。Well，Ihaveoftennotedthestateofoneoftheseruinsand，thenextmorning，Ihavefounditasitwas，orevenmoredilapidated。Neveranyrepairs；never；never。Iamsorry，becauseofthereputationwhichourhard-pressedtheoristshavegivenher，buttheSpiderisabsolutelyunabletomendherwork。Inspiteofherthoughtfulappearance，theEpeiraisincapableofthemodicumofreflexionrequiredtoinsertapieceintoanaccidentalgap。

OtherSpidersareunacquaintedwithwide-meshednetsandweavesatinswhereinthethreads，crossingatrandom，formacontinuoussubstance。AmongthisnumberistheHouseSpider(Tegenariadomestica，LIN。)。Inthecornersofourrooms，shestretcheswidewebsfixedbyangularextensions。Thebest-protectednookatonesidecontainstheowner’ssecretapartment。Itisasilktube，agallerywithaconicalopening，whencetheSpider，shelteredfromtheeye，watchesevents。Therestofthefabric，whichexceedsourfinestmuslinsindelicacy，isnot，properlyspeaking，ahunting-

implement:itisaplatformwhereontheSpider，attendingtotheaffairsofherestate，goesherrounds，especiallyatnight。Therealtrapconsistsofaconfusionoflinesstretchedabovetheweb。

Thesnare，constructedaccordingtootherrulesthaninthecaseoftheEpeirae，alsoworksdifferently。Herearenoviscousthreads，butplaintoils，renderedinvisiblebytheverynumber。IfaGnatrushintotheperfidiousentanglement，heiscaughtatonce；andthemorehestrugglesthemorefirmlyishebound。Thesnarelingfallsonthesheet-web。Tegenariahastensupandbiteshimintheneck。

Havingsaidthis，letusexperimentalittle。IntheweboftheHouseSpider，Imakearoundhole，twofingerswide。Theholeremainsyawningalldaylong；butnextmorningitisinvariablyclosed。Anextremelythingauzecoversthebreach，thedarkappearanceofwhichcontrastswiththedensewhitenessofthesurroundingfabric。Thegauzeissodelicatethat，tomakesureofitspresence，Iuseastrawratherthanmyeyes。Themovementoftheweb，whenthispartistouched，provesthepresenceofanobstacle。

Here，thematterwouldappearobvious。TheHouseSpiderhasmendedherworkduringthenight；shehasputapatchinthetornstuff，atalentunknowntotheGardenSpiders。Itwouldbegreatlytohercredit，ifamereattentivestudydidnotleadtoanotherconclusion。

TheweboftheHouseSpideris，asweweresaying，aplatformforwatchingandexploring；itisalsoasheetintowhichtheinsectscaughtintheoverheadriggingfall。Thissurface，adomainsubjecttounlimitedshocks，isneverstrongenough，especiallyasitisexposedtotheadditionalburdenoflittlebitsofplasterloosenedfromthewall。Theownerisconstantlyworkingatit；sheaddsanewlayernightly。

Everytimethatsheissuesfromhertubularretreatorreturnstoit，shefixesthethreadthathangsbehindherupontheroadcovered。Asevidenceofthiswork，wehavethedirectionofthesurface-lines，allofwhich，whetherstraightorwinding，accordingtothefanciesthatguidetheSpider’spath，convergeupontheentranceofthetube。Eachsteptaken，beyondadoubt，addsafilamenttotheweb。

WehaveherethestoryoftheProcessionaryofthePine，{30}whosehabitsIhaverelatedelsewhere。Whenthecaterpillarsleavethesilkpouch，togoandbrowseatnight，andalsowhentheyenteritagain，theyneverfailtospinalittleonthesurfaceoftheirnest。Eachexpeditionaddstothethicknessofthewall。

WhenmovingthiswayorthatuponthepursewhichIhavesplitfromtoptobottomwithmyscissors，theProcessionariesupholsterthebreachevenastheyupholstertheuntouchedpart，withoutpayingmoreattentiontoitthantotherestofthewall。Caringnothingabouttheaccident，theybehaveinthesamewayasonanon-gutteddwelling。Thecreviceisclosed，incourseoftime，notintentionally，butsolelybytheactionoftheusualspinning。

WearriveatthesameconclusiononthesubjectoftheHouseSpider。Walkingaboutherplatformeverynight，shelaysfreshcourseswithoutdrawingadistinctionbetweenthesolidandthehollow。Shehasnotdeliberatelyputapatchinthetorntexture；

shehassimplygoneonwithherordinarybusiness。Ifithappenthattheholeiseventuallyclosed，thisfortunateresultistheoutcomenotofaspecialpurpose，butofanunvaryingmethodofwork。

Besides，itisevidentthat，iftheSpiderreallywishedtomendherweb，allherendeavourswouldbeconcentratedupontherent。

Shewoulddevotetoitallthesilkatherdisposalandobtaininonesittingapieceveryliketherestoftheweb。Insteadofthat，whatdowefind？Almostnothing:ahardlyvisiblegauze。

Thethingisobvious:theSpiderdidonthatrentwhatshedideveryelsewhere，neithermorenorless。Farfromsquanderingsilkuponit，shesavedhersilksoastohaveenoughforthewholeweb。

Thegapwillbebettermended，littlebylittle，afterwards，asthesheetisstrengthenedalloverwithnewlayers。Andthiswilltakelong。Twomonthslater，thewindow——mywork——stillshowsthroughandmakesadarkstainagainstthedead-whiteofthefabric。

Neitherweaversnorspinners，therefore，knowhowtorepairtheirwork。Thosewonderfulmanufacturersofsilk-stuffslacktheleastglimmerofthatsacredlamp，reason，whichenablesthestupidestofdarning-womentomendtheheelofanoldstocking。TheofficeofinspectorofSpiders’webswouldhaveitsuses，evenifitmerelysucceededinriddingusofamistakenandmischievousidea。

CHAPTERXI:THEGARDENSPIDERS:THELIME-SNARE

ThespiralnetworkoftheEpeiraepossessescontrivancesoffearsomecunning。LetusgiveourattentionbypreferencetothatoftheBandedEpeiraorthatoftheSilkyEpeira，bothofwhichcanbeobservedatearlymorninginalltheirfreshness。

Thethreadthatformsthemisseenwiththenakedeyetodifferfromthatoftheframeworkandthespokes。Itglittersinthesun，looksasthoughitwereknottedandgivestheimpressionofachapletofatoms。Toexamineitthroughthelensonthewebitselfisscarcelyfeasible，becauseoftheshakingofthefabric，whichtremblesattheleastbreath。Bypassingasheetofglassunderthewebandliftingit，Itakeawayafewpiecesofthreadtostudy，piecesthatremainfixedtotheglassinparallellines。

Lensandmicroscopecannowplaytheirpart。

Thesightisperfectlyastounding。Thosethreads，ontheborderlandbetweenthevisibleandtheinvisible，areverycloselytwistedtwine，similartothegoldcordofourofficers’sword-

knots。Moreover，theyarehollow。Theinfinitelyslenderisatube，achannelfullofaviscousmoistureresemblingastrongsolutionofgumarabic。Icanseeadiaphanoustrailofthismoisturetricklingthroughthebrokenends。Underthepressureofthethinglassslidethatcoversthemonthestageofthemicroscope，thetwistslengthenout，becomecrinkledribbons，traversedfromendtoend，throughthemiddle，byadarkstreak，whichistheemptycontainer。

Thefluidcontentsmustoozeslowlythroughthesideofthosetubularthreads，rolledintotwistedstrings，andthusrenderthenetworksticky。Itissticky，infact，andinsuchawayastoprovokesurprise。Ibringafinestrawflatdownuponthreeorfourrungsofasector。Howevergentlethecontact，adhesionisatonceestablished。WhenIliftthestraw，thethreadscomewithitandstretchtotwiceorthreetimestheirlength，likeathreadofIndia-rubber。Atlast，whenover-taut，theyloosenwithoutbreakingandresumetheiroriginalform。Theylengthenbyunrollingtheirtwist，theyshortenbyrollingitagain；lastly，theybecomeadhesivebytakingtheglazeofthegummymoisturewherewiththeyarefilled。

Inshort，thespiralthreadisacapillarytubefinerthananythatourphysicswilleverknow。Itisrolledintoatwistsoastopossessanelasticitythatallowsit，withoutbreaking，toyieldtothetugsofthecapturedprey；itholdsasupplyofstickymatterinreserveinitstube，soastorenewtheadhesivepropertiesofthesurfacebyincessantexudation，astheybecomeimpairedbyexposuretotheair。Itissimplymarvellous。

TheEpeirahuntsnotwithsprings，butwithlime-snares。Andsuchlime-snares！Everythingiscaughtinthem，downtothedandelion-

plumethatbarelybrushesagainstthem。Nevertheless，theEpeira，whoisinconstanttouchwithherweb，isnotcaughtinthem。Why？

LetusfirstofallrememberthattheSpiderhascontrivedforherself，inthemiddleofhertrap，afloorinwhoseconstructionthestickyspiralthreadplaysnopart。Wesawhowthisthreadstopssuddenlyatsomedistancefromthecentre。Thereishere，coveringaspacewhich，inthelargerwebs，isaboutequaltothepalmofone’shand，afabricformedofspokesandofthecommencementoftheauxiliaryspiral，aneutralfabricinwhichtheexploringstrawfindsnoadhesivenessanywhere。

Here，onthiscentralresting-floor，andhereonly，theEpeiratakesherstand，waitingwholedaysforthearrivalofthegame。

Howeverclose，howeverprolongedhercontactwiththisportionoftheweb，sherunsnoriskofstickingtoit，becausethegummycoatingislacking，asisthetwistedandtubularstructure，throughoutthelengthofthespokesandthroughouttheextentoftheauxiliaryspiral。Thesepieces，togetherwiththerestoftheframework，aremadeofplain，straight，solidthread。

But，whenavictimiscaught，sometimesrightattheedgeoftheweb，theSpiderhastorushupquickly，tobinditandovercomeitsattemptstofreeitself。Sheiswalkingthenuponhernetwork；andIdonotfindthatshesufferstheleastinconvenience。Thelime-

threadsarenotevenliftedbythemovementsofherlegs。

Inmyboyhood，whenatroopofuswouldgo，onThursdays，{31}totryandcatchaGoldfinchinthehemp-fields，weused，beforecoveringthetwigswithglue，togreaseourfingerswithafewdropsofoil，lestweshouldgetthemcaughtinthestickymatter。

DoestheEpeiraknowthesecretoffattysubstances？Letustry。

Irubmyexploringstrawwithslightlyoiledpaper。Whenappliedtothespiralthreadoftheweb，itnownolongerstickstoit。

Theprincipleisdiscovered。IpulloutthelegofaliveEpeira。

Broughtjustasitisintocontactwiththelime-threads，itdoesnotsticktothemanymorethantotheneutralcords，whetherspokesorpartsoftheframework。Wewereentitledtoexpectthis，judgingbytheSpider’sgeneralimmunity。

Buthereissomethingthatwhollyalterstheresult。Iputthelegtosoakforaquarterofanhourindisulphideofcarbon，thebestsolventoffattymatters。Iwashitcarefullywithabrushdippedinthesamefluid。Whenthiswashingisfinished，thelegstickstothesnaring-threadquiteeasilyandadherestoitjustaswellasanythingelsewould，theunoiledstraw，forinstance。

DidIguessarightwhenIjudgedthatitwasafattysubstancethatpreservedtheEpeirafromthesnaresofherstickyCatherine-wheel？

Theactionofthecarbondisulphideseemstosayyes。Besides，thereisnoreasonwhyasubstanceofthiskind，whichplayssofrequentapartinanimaleconomy，shouldnotcoattheSpiderveryslightlybythemereactofperspiration。WeusedtorubourfingerswithalittleoilbeforehandlingthetwigsinwhichtheGoldfinchwastobecaught；evensotheEpeiravarnishesherselfwithaspecialsweat，tooperateonanypartofherwebwithoutfearofthelime-threads。

However，anundulyprotractedstayonthestickythreadswouldhaveitsdrawbacks。Inthelongrun，continualcontactwiththosethreadsmightproduceacertainadhesionandinconveniencetheSpider，whomustpreserveallheragilityinordertorushuponthepreybeforeitcanreleaseitself。Forthisreason，gummythreadsareneverusedinbuildingthepostofinterminablewaiting。

Itisonlyonherresting-floorthattheEpeirasits，motionlessandwithhereightlegsoutspread，readytomarktheleastquiverinthenet。Itishere，again，thatshetakeshermeals，oftenlong-drawn-out，whenthejointisasubstantialone；itishitherthat，aftertrussingandnibblingit，shedragsherpreyattheendofathread，toconsumeitathereaseonanon-viscousmat。Asahunting-postandrefectory，theEpeirahascontrivedacentralspace，freefromglue。

Asfortheglueitself，itishardlypossibletostudyitschemicalproperties，becausethequantityissoslight。Themicroscopeshowsittricklingfromthebrokenthreadsintheformofatransparentandmoreorlessgranularstreak。Thefollowingexperimentwilltellusmoreaboutit。

Withasheetofglasspassedacrosstheweb，Igatheraseriesoflime-threadswhichremainfixedinparallellines。Icoverthissheetwithabell-jarstandinginadepthofwater。Soon，inthisatmospheresaturatedwithhumidity，thethreadsbecomeenvelopedinawaterysheath，whichgraduallyincreasesandbeginstoflow。Thetwistedshapehasbythistimedisappeared；andthechannelofthethreadrevealsachapletoftranslucentorbs，thatistosay，aseriesofextremelyfinedrops。

Intwenty-fourhours，thethreadshavelosttheircontentsandarereducedtoalmostinvisiblestreaks。IfIthenlayadropofwaterontheglass，Igetastickysolution，similartothatwhichaparticleofgumarabicmightyield。Theconclusionisevident:

theEpeira’sglueisasubstancethatabsorbsmoisturefreely。Inanatmospherewithahighdegreeofhumidity，itbecomessaturatedandpercolatesbysweatingthroughthesideofthetubularthreads。

Thesedataexplaincertainfactsrelatingtotheworkofthenet。

Thefull-grownBandedandSilkyEpeiraeweaveatveryearlyhours，longbeforedawn。Shouldtheairturnmisty，theysometimesleavethatpartofthetaskunfinished:theybuildthegeneralframework，theylaythespokes，theyevendrawtheauxiliaryspiral，forallthesepartsareunaffectedbyexcessofmoisture；

buttheyareverycarefulnottoworkatthelime-threads，which，ifsoakedbythefog，woulddissolveintostickyshredsandlosetheirefficacybybeingwetted。Thenetthatwasstartedwillbefinishedto-morrow，iftheatmospherebefavourable。

Whilethehighly-absorbentcharacterofthesnaring-threadhasitsdrawbacks，italsohascompensatingadvantages。BothEpeirae，whenhuntingbyday，affectthosehotplaces，exposedtothefierceraysofthesun，whereintheCricketsdelight。Inthetorridheatsofthedog-days，therefore，thelime-threads，butforspecialprovisions，wouldbeliabletodryup，toshrivelintostiffandlifelessfilaments。Buttheveryoppositehappens。Atthemostscorchingtimesoftheday，theycontinuesupple，elasticandmoreandmoreadhesive。

Howisthisbroughtabout？Bytheirverypowersofabsorption。

Themoistureofwhichtheairisneverdeprivedpenetratesthemslowly；itdilutesthethickcontentsoftheirtubestotherequisitedegreeandcausesittooozethrough，asandwhentheearlierstickinessdecreases。Whatbird-catchercouldviewiththeGardenSpiderintheartoflayinglime-snares？AndallthisindustryandcunningforthecaptureofaMoth！

Then，too，whatapassionforproduction！Knowingthediameteroftheorbandthenumberofcoils，wecaneasilycalculatethetotallengthofthestickyspiral。Wefindthat，inonesitting，eachtimethatsheremakesherweb，theAngularEpeiraproducessometwentyyardsofgummythread。ThemoreskilfulSilkyEpeiraproducesthirty。Well，duringtwomonths，theAngularEpeira，myneighbour，renewedhersnarenearlyeveryevening。Duringthatperiod，shemanufacturedsomethinglikethree-quartersofamileofthistubularthread，rolledintoatighttwistandbulgingwithglue。

Ishouldlikeananatomistendowedwithbetterimplementsthanmineandwithlesstiredeyesighttoexplaintoustheworkofthemarvellousrope-yard。Howisthesilkymattermouldedintoacapillarytube？Howisthistubefilledwithglueandtightlytwisted？Andhowdoesthissamewire-millalsoturnoutplainthreads，wroughtfirstintoaframeworkandthenintomuslinandsatin；next，arussetfoam，suchasfillsthewalletoftheBandedEpeira；next，theblackstripesstretchedinmeridiancurvesonthatsamewallet？Whatanumberofproductstocomefromthatcuriousfactory，aSpider’sbelly！Ibeholdtheresults，butfailtounderstandtheworkingofthemachine。Ileavetheproblemtothemastersofthemicrotomeandthescalpel。

CHAPTERXII:THEGARDENSPIDERS:THETELEGRAPH-WIRE

OfthesixGardenSpidersthatformtheobjectofmyobservations，twoonly，theBandedandthesilkyEpeira，remainconstantlyintheirwebs，evenundertheblindingraysofafiercesun。Theothers，asarule，donotshowthemselvesuntilnightfall。Atsomedistancefromthenet，theyhavearoughandreadyretreatinthebrambles，anambushmadeofafewleavesheldtogetherbystretchedthreads。Itisherethat，forthemostpart，theyremaininthedaytime，motionlessandsunkinmeditation。

Buttheshrilllightthatvexesthemisthejoyofthefields。Atsuchtimes，theLocusthopsmorenimblythanever，moregailyskimstheDragon-fly。Besides，thelimyweb，despitetherentssufferedduringthenight，isstillinserviceablecondition。Ifsomegiddy-pateallowhimselftobecaught，willtheSpider，atthedistancewheretoshehasretired，beunabletotakeadvantageofthewindfall？Neverfear。Shearrivesinaflash。Howissheapprised？Letusexplainthematter。

Thealarmisgivenbythevibrationoftheweb，muchmorethanbythesightofthecapturedobject。Averysimpleexperimentwillprovethis。IlayuponaBandedEpeira’slime-threadsaLocustthatsecondasphyxiatedwithcarbondisulphide。Thecarcassisplacedinfront，orbehind，orateithersideoftheSpider，whositsmovelessinthecentreofthenet。Ifthetestistobeappliedtoaspecieswithadaytimehiding-placeamidthefoliage，thedeadLocustislaidontheweb，moreorlessnearthecentre，nomatterhow。

Inbothcases，nothinghappensatfirst。TheEpeiraremainsinhermotionlessattitude，evenwhenthemorselisatashortdistanceinfrontofher。Sheisindifferenttothepresenceofthegame，doesnotseemtoperceiveit，somuchsothatsheendsbywearingoutmypatience。Then，withalongstraw，whichenablesmetoconcealmyselfslightly，Isetthedeadinsecttrembling。

Thatisquiteenough。TheBandedEpeiraandtheSilkyEpeirahastentothecentralfloor；theotherscomedownfromthebranch；

allgototheLocust，swathehimwithtape，treathim，inshort，astheywouldtreatalivepreycapturedundernormalconditions。Ittooktheshakingofthewebtodecidethemtoattack。

PerhapsthegreycolouroftheLocustisnotsufficientlyconspicuoustoattractattentionbyitself。Thenletustryred，thebrightestcolourtoourretinaandprobablyalsototheSpiders’。NoneofthegamehuntedbytheEpeiraebeingcladinscarlet，Imakeasmallbundleoutofredwool，abaitofthesizeofaLocust。Iglueittotheweb。

Mystratagemsucceeds。Aslongastheparcelisstationary，theSpiderisnotroused；but，themomentittrembles，stirredbymystraw，sherunsupeagerly。

Therearesillyoneswhojusttouchthethingwiththeirlegsand，withoutfurtherenquiries，swatheitinsilkafterthemanneroftheusualgame。Theyevengosofarastodigtheirfangsintothebait，followingtheruleofthepreliminarypoisoning。ThenandthenonlythemistakeisrecognizedandthetrickedSpiderretiresanddoesnotcomeback，unlessitbelongafterwards，whensheflingsthecumbersomeobjectoutoftheweb。

Therearealsocleverones。Liketheothers，thesehastentothered-woollenlure，whichmystrawinsidiouslykeepsmoving；theycomefromtheirtentamongtheleavesasreadilyasfromthecentreoftheweb；theyexploreitwiththeirpalpiandtheirlegs；but，soonperceivingthatthethingisvalueless，theyarecarefulnottospendtheirsilkonuselessbonds。Myquiveringbaitdoesnotdeceivethem。Itisflungoutafterabriefinspection。

Still，thecleverones，likethesillyones，runevenfromadistance，fromtheirleafyambush。Howdotheyknow？Certainlynotbysight。Beforerecognizingtheirmistake，theyhavetoholdtheobjectbetweentheirlegsandeventonibbleatitalittle。

Theyareextremelyshort-sighted。Atahand’s-breadth’sdistance，thelifelessprey，unabletoshaketheweb，remainsunperceived。

Besides，inmanycases，thehuntingtakesplaceinthedensedarknessofthenight，whensight，evenifitweregood，wouldnotavail。

Iftheeyesareinsufficientguides，evencloseathand，howwillitbewhenthepreyhastobespiedfromafar！Inthatcase，anintelligence-apparatusforlong-distanceworkbecomesindispensable。Wehavenodifficultyindetectingtheapparatus。

LetuslookattentivelybehindthewebofanyEpeirawithadaytimehiding-place:weshallseeathreadthatstartsfromthecentreofthenetwork，ascendsinaslantinglineoutsidetheplaneofthewebandendsattheambushwheretheSpiderlurksallday。Exceptatthecentralpoint，thereisnoconnectionbetweenthisthreadandtherestofthework，nointerweavingwiththescaffolding-

threads。Freeofimpediment，thelinerunsstraightfromthecentreofthenettotheambush-tent。Itslengthaveragestwenty-

twoinches。TheAngularEpeira，settledhighupinthetrees，hasshownmesomeaslongaseightorninefeet。

Thereisnodoubtthatthisslantinglineisafoot-bridgewhichallowstheSpidertorepairhurriedlytotheweb，whensummonedbyurgentbusiness，andthen，whenherroundisfinished，toreturntoherhut。Infact，itistheroadwhichIseeherfollow，ingoingandcoming。Butisthatall？No；for，iftheEpeirahadnoaiminviewbutameansofrapidtransitbetweenhertentandthenet，thefoot-bridgewouldbefastenedtotheupperedgeoftheweb。Thejourneywouldbeshorterandtheslopelesssteep。

Why，moreover，doesthislinealwaysstartinthecentreofthestickynetworkandnowhereelse？Becausethatisthepointwherethespokesmeetand，therefore，thecommoncentreofvibration。