19. "If the more helpless creatures that cannot escape from their foes by flight, and are quite without means of defense, did not thus protect themselves by all sorts of mimicry and pretense, they would be preyed upon until they were destroyed. This is especially true of some of the smaller birds, fishes and insects.

20. "But stranger still, animals do not always suit their forms and their colors to their surroundings in order that they may hide from their foes. There are some which disguise themselves for the purpose of stealing upon their prey unnoticed, and without causing untimely alarm.

21. "So that in the animal world a very deadly game of Hide and Seek seems always to be going on!"

spin'-ner-ets weight'-ed glit'-ter-ing

cen'-ter

re-pos'-ing neigh'-bor-ing vel'-vet

1. The word spider means spinner.

There is

a very ancient tale of a Greek maiden, who was a beautiful weaver, being turned into a spider.

2. A spider is not an insect. has six legs; a spider has eight.

An insect always
A spider is born a

spider; an insect is always hatched from an egg, and always has to live through several changes before reaching its perfect shape. And there are other differences beside

these.

3. Spiders capture insects for their prey, and some of them spin webs for this purpose. Near the end of the abdomen, spiders have from four to eight finger-like appendages with tiny holes in

A LARGE SPIDER.

them. These are called spinnerets, and from them proceeds the silk which forms the cobweb. It is

stored in a gland or bag,

where it is a thick, fluid-like gum.

4. When a spider wishes to spin, it squeezes some of the fluid out through the holes of the spinnerets. This fastens where it drops; as the spider moves its body along a slender thread is drawn out, which hardens as it reaches the air.

5. It is not a single line, but several coming

from various spinnerets, and being spun into one strong cord. It is very elastic, and will keep in position when shaken by the wind, or when weighted with the heavy dewdrops of morning.

6. Cobwebs may be out of place in a room, but in a garden they are in their proper place. For here they catch a vast number of insects which would work havoc among

THE SPIDER'S WEB.

the flowers, fruits and vegetables. A wise gardener will not suffer garden spiders to be killed.

7. A web is a beautiful fabric. Sometimes the spider may be seen reposing in the very center of it, hanging with its head downwards, after the fashion of the bat. Sometimes it is under a neighboring leaf that it lurks in its soft, velvet-like coat, waiting

and watching for its prey. It has eight jet-black eyes that dully glitter in the darkness of its hidingplace. With what a rush it pounces forth upon some unlucky fly!

LESSON 21.

COBWEBS.

ap-proach' stead'-ied dam'-aged break'-ag-es

lim'-it-ed

var'-i-ous

as-cend'-ing con-struct'-ed

scaf'-fold-ing vi'-o-lent pre-vent'

de-cayed'

They

1. Spiders are capital weather-glasses. never make or mend their webs except at the approach of fine weather.

2. Their supply of silk being limited, it is far too valuable to be

weather, when the flies will

wasted on wet

stay at
stay at

home.

Should spiders be seen busy at work while the weather is still wet, there is certain to be a change shortly afterwards, and the fair weather will last for some days at least.

3. It is most interesting to watch spiders at work making their webs. First a scaffolding is constructed of strong lines. This spreads out from a center, star-shape, and is steadied by guy-ropes which fasten it to the various points fixed upon by the little weaver.

4. Then the fine spiral threads which catch the prey are wound round and round, and stuck to the framework by little knobs of sticky fluid. It is very wonderful how the spider directs the thread. Holding it carefully by one hind claw to

keep it well away from her body, she gives it a pull each time she fixes it to one of the frame lines, to make sure of its firmness.

5. Once a garden spider had its web under the shelter of the eaves of a cottage. One day a violent storm of wind raged through the garden, and damaged the cobweb by breaking one or two of its guy-ropes. Of course the web then flapped

about like a loose sail in a storm.

6. The spider did not make new guy-ropes. She was seen to lower herself by a thread to the ground, and then to crawl to a spot where the wind had blown some pieces of decayed wood out of the fence.

7. To one piece of this rotten wood, about three inches long and of the thickness of a slate-pencil, she fastened a line. Then ascending to her web she hauled up the bit of wood to a height of nearly five feet, and left it hanging by a line to her web.

8. The effect was wonderful. The weight of the wood was enough to hold the web tight, and yet at the same time to sway with the wind, and so prevent further breakages. Clever little spider!