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。TheirnamesaretheBandedEpeiraEpeirafasciata，WALCK。，theSilkyEpeiraE。
sericea，WALCK。，theAngularEpeiraE。angulata，WALCK。，thePale-tintedEpeiraE。pallida，OLIV。，theDiademEpeira，orCrossSpiderE。diadema，CLERK。，andtheCraterEpeiraE。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
knowherfortheAngularEpeiraEpeiraangulata，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。AmongthisnumberistheHouseSpiderTegenariadomestica，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。