Withafewthreadsandsomesmallleavesjoinedtogether，theCrabSpiderbuilds，aboveherloftynest，arudimentarywatch-towerwhereshestayspermanently，greatlyemaciated，flattenedintoasortofwrinkledshellthroughtheemptyingofherovariesandthetotalabsenceoffood。Andthismereshred，hardlymorethanaskinthatpersistsinlivingwithouteating，stoutlydefendsheregg-sack，showsfightattheapproachofanytramp。Shedoesnotmakeuphermindtodieuntilthelittleonesaregone。
TheLabyrinthSpiderisbettertreated。Afterlayinghereggs，sofarfrombecomingthin，shepreservesanexcellentappearanceandaroundbelly。Moreover，shedoesnotloseherappetiteandisalwayspreparedtobleedaLocust。Shethereforerequiresadwellingwithahunting-boxclosetotheeggswatchedover。Weknowthisdwelling，builtinstrictaccordancewithartisticcanonsundertheshelterofmycages。
Rememberthemagnificentovalguard-room，runningintoavestibuleateitherend；theegg-chamberslunginthecentreandisolatedoneverysidebyhalfascoreofpillars；thefront-hallexpandingintoawidemouthandsurmountedbyanetworkoftautthreadsformingatrap。Thesemi-transparencyofthewallsallowsustoseetheSpiderengagedinherhouseholdaffairs。Hercloisterofvaultedpassagesenableshertoproceedtoanypointofthestar-
shapedpouchcontainingtheeggs。Indefatigableinherrounds，shestopshereandthere；shefondlyfeelsthesatin，listenstothesecretsofthewallet。IfIshakethenetatanypointwithastraw，shequicklyrunsuptoenquirewhatishappening。WillthisvigilancefrightenofftheIchneumonandotherloversofomelettes？
Perhapsso。But，thoughthisdangerbeaverted，otherswillcomewhenthemotherisnolongerthere。
Herattentivewatchdoesnotmakeheroverlookhermeals。OneoftheLocustswhereofIrenewthesupplyatintervalsinthecagesiscaughtinthecordsofthegreatentrance-hall。TheSpiderarriveshurriedly，snatchesthegiddy-pateanddisjointshisshanks，whichsheemptiesoftheircontents，thebestpartoftheinsect。Theremainderofthecarcassisafterwardsdrainedmoreorless，accordingtoherappetiteatthetime。Themealistakenoutsidetheguard-room，onthethreshold，neverindoors。
Thesearenotcapriciousmouthfuls，servingtobeguiletheboredomofthewatchforabriefwhile；theyaresubstantialrepasts，whichrequireseveralsittings。Suchanappetiteastonishesme，afterI
haveseentheCrabSpider，thatnolessardentwatcher，refusetheBeeswhomIgiveherandallowherselftodieofinanition。Canthisothermotherhavesogreataneedasthattoeat？Yes，certainlyshehas；andforanimperativereason。
Atthebeginningofherwork，shespentalargeamountofsilk，perhapsallthatherreservescontained；forthedoubledwelling——
forherselfandforheroffspring——isahugeedifice，exceedinglycostlyinmaterials；andyet，fornearlyanothermonth，Iseeheraddinglayeruponlayerbothtothewallofthelargecabinandtothatofthecentralchamber，somuchsothatthetexture，whichatfirstwastranslucentgauze，becomesopaquesatin。Thewallsneverseemthickenough；theSpiderisalwaysworkingatthem。Tosatisfythislavishexpenditure，shemustincessantly，bymeansoffeeding，fillhersilk-glandsasandwhensheemptiesthembyspinning。Foodisthemeanswherebyshekeepstheinexhaustiblefactorygoing。
Amonthpassesand，aboutthemiddleofSeptember，thelittleoneshatch，butwithoutleavingtheirtabernacle，wheretheyaretospendthewinterpackedinsoftwadding。Themothercontinuestowatchandspin，lesseningheractivityfromdaytoday。SherecruitsherselfwithaLocustatlongerintervals；shesometimesscornsthosewhomImyselfentangleinhertrap。Thisincreasingabstemiousness，asignofdecrepitude，slackensandatlaststopstheworkofthespinnerets。
Forfourorfiveweekslonger，themotherneverceasesherleisurelyinspection-rounds，happyathearingthenew-bornSpidersswarminginthewallet。Atlength，whenOctoberends，sheclutchesheroffspring’snurseryanddieswithered。Shehasdoneallthatmaternaldevotioncando；thespecialprovidenceoftinyanimalswilldotherest。Whenspringcomes，theyoungsterswillemergefromtheirsnughabitation，disperseallovertheneighbourhoodbytheexpedientofthefloatingthreadandweavetheirfirstattemptsatalabyrinthonthetuftsofthyme。
Accurateinstructureandneatinsilk-workthoughtheybe，thenestsofthecagedcaptivesdonottelluseverything；wemustgobacktowhathappensinthefields，withtheircomplicatedconditions。TowardstheendofDecember，Iagainsetoutinsearch，aidedbyallmyyouthfulcollaborators。Weinspectthestuntedrosemariesalongtheedgeofapathshelteredbyarocky，woodedslope；weliftthebranchesthatspreadovertheground。
Ourzealisrewardedwithsuccess。Inacoupleofhours，Iamtheownerofsomenests。
Pitifulpiecesofworkarethey，injuredbeyondrecognitionbytheassaultsoftheweather！Itneedstheeyesoffaithtoseeintheseruinstheequivalentoftheedificesbuiltinsidemycages。
Fastenedtothecreepingbranch，theunsightlybundleliesonthesandheapedupbytherains。Oak-leaves，roughlyjoinedbyafewthreads，wrapitallround。Oneoftheseleaves，largerthantheothers，roofsitinandservesasascaffoldingforthewholeoftheceiling。Ifwedidnotseethesilkyremnantsofthetwovestibulesprojectingandfeelacertainresistancewhenseparatingthepartsofthebundle，wemighttakethethingforacasualaccumulation，theworkoftherainandthewind。
Letusexamineourfindandlookmorecloselyintoitsshapelessness。Hereisthelargeroom，thematernalcabin，whichripsasthecoatingofleavesisremoved；herearethecirculargalleriesoftheguard-room；herearethecentralchamberanditspillars，allinafabricofimmaculatewhite。Thedirtfromthedampgroundhasnotpenetratedtothisdwellingprotectedbyitswrapperofdeadleaves。
Nowopenthehabitationoftheoffspring。Whatisthis？Tomyutterastonishment，thecontentsofthechamberareakernelofearthymatters，asthoughthemuddyrain-waterhadbeenallowedtosoakthrough。Putasidethatidea，saysthesatinwall，whichitselfisperfectlycleaninside。Itismostcertainlythemother’sdoing，adeliberatepieceofwork，executedwithminutecare。Thegrainsofsandarestucktogetherwithacementofsilk；
andthewholeresiststhepressureofthefingers。
Ifwecontinuetounshellthekernel，wefind，belowthisminerallayer，alastsilkentunicthatformsaglobearoundthebrood。Nosoonerdowetearthisfinalcoveringthanthefrightenedlittleonesrunawayandscatterwithanagilitythatissingularatthiscoldandtorpidseason。
Tosumup，whenworkinginthenaturalstate，theLabyrinthSpiderbuildsaroundtheeggs，betweentwosheetsofsatin，awallcomposedofagreatdealofsandandalittlesilk。TostoptheIchneumon’sprobeandtheteethoftheotherravagers，thebestthingthatoccurredtoherwasthishoardingwhichcombinesthehardnessofflintwiththesoftnessofmuslin。
ThismeansofdefenceseemstobeprettyfrequentamongSpiders。
OurownbigHouseSpider，Tegenariadomestica，encloseshereggsinaglobulestrengthenedwitharindofsilkandofcrumblywreckagefromthemortarofthewalls。Otherspecies，livingintheopenunderstones，workinthesameway。Theywraptheireggsinamineralshellheldtogetherwithsilk。Thesamefearshaveinspiredthesameprotectivemethods。
Thenhowcomesitthat，ofthefivemothersrearedinmycages，notonehashadrecoursetotheclayrampart？Afterall，sandabounded:thepansinwhichthewire-gauzecoversstoodwerefullofit。Ontheotherhand，undernormalconditions，Ihaveoftencomeacrossnestswithoutanymineralcasing。Theseincompletenestswereplacedatsomeheightfromtheground，inthethickofthebrushwood；theothers，onthecontrary，thosesuppliedwithacoatingofsand，layontheground。
Themethodoftheworkexplainsthesedifferences。Theconcreteofourbuildingsisobtainedbythesimultaneousmanipulationofgravelandmortar。Inthesameway，theSpidermixesthecementofthesilkwiththegrainsofsand；thespinneretsneverceaseworking，whilethelegsflingundertheadhesivespraythesolidmaterialscollectedintheimmediateneighbourhood。Theoperationwouldbeimpossibleif，aftercementingeachgrainofsand，itwerenecessarytostoptheworkofthespinneretsandgotoadistancetofetchfurtherstonyelements。Thosematerialshavetoberightunderherlegs；otherwisetheSpiderdoeswithoutandcontinuesherworkjustthesame。
Inmycages，thesandistoofaroff。Toobtainit，theSpiderwouldhavetoleavethetopofthedome，wherethenestisbeingbuiltonitstrellis-worksupport；shewouldhavetocomedownsomenineinches。Theworkerrefusestotakethistrouble，which，ifrepeatedinthecaseofeachgrain，wouldmaketheactionofthespinneretstooirksome。Shealsorefusestodosowhen，forreasonswhichIhavenotfathomed，thesitechosenissomewayupinthetuftofrosemary。But，whenthenesttouchestheground，theclayrampartisnevermissing。
Arewetoseeinthisfactproofofaninstinctcapableofmodification，eithermakingfordecadenceandgraduallyneglectingwhatwastheancestors’safeguard，ormakingforprogressandadvancing，hesitatingly，towardsperfectioninthemason’sart？Noinferenceispermissibleineitherdirection。TheLabyrinthSpiderhassimplytaughtusthatinstinctpossessesresourceswhichareemployedorleftlatentaccordingtotheconditionsofthemoment。
Placesandunderherlegsandthespinstresswillkneadconcrete；
refuseherthatsand，orputitoutofherreach，andtheSpiderwillremainasimplesilk-worker，alwaysready，however，toturnmasonunderfavourableconditions。Theaggregateofthingsthatcomewithintheobserver’sscopeprovesthatitweremadtoexpectfromheranyfurtherinnovations，suchaswouldutterlychangehermethodsofmanufactureandcauseher，forinstance，toabandonhercabin，withitstwoentrance-hallsanditsstar-liketabernacle，infavouroftheBandedEpeira’spear-shapedgourd。
CHAPTERXVI:THECLOTHOSPIDER
SheisnamedDurand’sClothoClothoDurandi，LATR。，inmemoryofhimwhofirstcalledattentiontothisparticularSpider。Toenteroneternityunderthesafe-conductofadiminutiveanimalwhichsavesusfromspeedyoblivionunderthemallowsandrocketsisnocontemptibleadvantage。Mostmendisappearwithoutleavinganechotorepeattheirname；theylieburiedinforgetfulness，theworstofgraves。
Others，amongthenaturalists，benefitbythedesignationgiventothisorthatobjectinlife’streasure-house:itistheskiffwhereintheykeepafloatforabriefwhile。Apatchoflichenonthebarkofanoldtree，abladeofgrass，apunybeastie:anyoneofthesehandsdownaman’snametoposterityaseffectivelyasanewcomet。Forallitsabuses，thismannerofhonouringthedepartediseminentlyrespectable。Ifwewouldcarveanepitaphofsomeduration，whatcouldwefindbetterthanaBeetle’swing-case，aSnail’sshelloraSpider’sweb？Graniteisworthnoneofthem。
Entrustedtothehardstone，aninscriptionbecomesobliterated；
entrustedtoaButterfly’swing，itisindestructible。’Durand，’
therefore，byallmeans。
Butwhydragin’Clotho’？Isitthewhimofanomenclator，atalossforwordstodenotetheever-swellingtideofbeaststhatrequirecataloguing？Notentirely。Amythologicalnamecametohismind，onewhichsoundedwellandwhich，moreover，wasnotoutofplaceindesignatingaspinstress。TheClothoofantiquityistheyoungestofthethreeFates；sheholdsthedistaffwhenceourdestiniesarespun，adistaffwoundwithplentyofroughflocks，justafewshredsofsilkand，veryrarely，athinstrandofgold。
Prettilyshapedandclad，asfarasaSpidercanbe，theClothoofthenaturalistsis，aboveall，ahighlytalentedspinstress；andthisisthereasonwhysheiscalledafterthedistaff-bearingdeityoftheinfernalregions。Itisapitythattheanalogyextendsnofurther。ThemythologicalClotho，niggardlywithhersilkandlavishwithhercoarseflocks，spinsusaharshexistence；
theeight-leggedClothousesnaughtbutexquisitesilk。Sheworksforherself；theotherworksforus，whoarehardlyworththetrouble。
Wouldwemakeheracquaintance？Ontherockyslopesintheoliveland，scorchedandblisteredbythesun，turnovertheflatstones，thoseofafairsize；search，aboveall，thepileswhichtheshepherdssetupforaseatwhencetowatchthesheepbrowsingamongstthelavenderbelow。Donotbetooeasilydisheartened:
theClothoisrare；noteveryspotsuitsher。Iffortunesmileatlastuponourperseverance，weshallsee，clingingtothelowersurfaceofthestonewhichwehavelifted，anedificeofaweather-
beatenaspect，shapedlikeanover-turnedcupolaandaboutthesizeofhalfatangerineorange。Theoutsideisencrustedorhungwithsmallshells，particlesofearthand，especially，driedinsects。
Theedgeofthecupolaisscallopedintoadozenangularlobes，thepointsofwhichspreadandarefixedtothestone。Inbetweenthesestrapsisthesamenumberofspaciousinvertedarches。ThewholerepresentstheIshmaelite’scamel-hairtent，butupsidedown。
Aflatroof，stretchedbetweenthestraps，closesthetopofthedwelling。
Thenwhereistheentrance？Allthearchesoftheedgeopenupontheroof；notoneleadstotheinterior。Theeyeseeksinvain；
thereisnothingtopointtoapassagebetweentheinsideandtheoutside。Yettheownerofthehousemustgooutfromtimetotime，wereitonlyinsearchoffood；onreturningfromherexpedition，shemustgoinagain。Howdoesshemakeherexitsandherentrances？Astrawwilltellusthesecret。
Passitoverthethresholdofthevariousarches。Everywhere，thesearchingstrawencountersresistance；everywhere，itfindstheplacerigorouslyclosed。Butoneofthescallops，differinginnowisefromtheothersinappearance，ifcleverlycoaxed，opensattheedgeintotwolipsandstandsslightlyajar。Thisisthedoor，whichatonceshutsagainofitsownelasticity。Noristhisall:
theSpider，whenshereturnshome，oftenboltsherselfin，thatistosay，shejoinsandfastensthetwoleavesofthedoorwithalittlesilk。
TheMasonMygaleisnosaferinherburrow，withitslidundistinguishablefromthesoilandmovingonahinge，thanistheClothoinhertent，whichisinviolablebyanyenemyignorantofthedevice。TheClotho，whenindanger，runsquicklyhome；sheopensthechinkwithatouchofherclaw，entersanddisappears。
Thedoorclosesofitselfandissupplied，incaseofneed，withalockconsistingofafewthreads。Noburglar，ledastraybythemultiplicityofarches，oneandallalike，willeverdiscoverhowthefugitivevanishedsosuddenly。
WhiletheClothodisplaysamoresimpleingenuityasregardsherdefensivemachinery，sheisincomparablyaheadoftheMygaleinthematterofdomesticcomfort。Letusopenhercabin。Whatluxury！
WearetaughthowaSybariteofoldwasunabletorest，owingtothepresenceofacrumpledrose-leafinhisbed。TheClothoisquiteasfastidious。Hercouchismoredelicatethanswan’s-downandwhiterthanthefleeceofthecloudswherebroodthesummerstorms。Itistheidealblanket。Aboveisacanopyortesterofequalsoftness。BetweenthetwonestlestheSpider，short-legged，cladinsombregarments，withfiveyellowfavoursonherback。
Restinthisexquisiteretreatdemandsperfectstability，especiallyongustydays，whensharpdraughtspenetratebeneaththestone。Thisconditionisadmirablyfulfilled。Takeacarefullookatthehabitation。Thearchesthatgirdtheroofwithabalustradeandbeartheweightoftheedificearefixedtotheslabbytheirextremities。Moreover，fromeachpointofcontact，thereissuesaclusterofdivergingthreadsthatcreepalongthestoneandclingtoitthroughouttheirlength，whichspreadsafar。Ihavemeasuredsomefullynineincheslong。Thesearesomanycables；theyrepresenttheropesandpegsthatholdtheArab’stentinposition。
Withsuchsupportsasthese，sonumerousandsomethodicallyarranged，thehammockcannotbetornfromitsbearingssavebytheinterventionofbrutalmethodswithwhichtheSpiderneednotconcernherself，soseldomdotheyoccur。
Anotherdetailattractsourattention:whereastheinteriorofthehouseisexquisitelyclean，theoutsideiscoveredwithdirt，bitsofearth，chipsofrottenwood，littlepiecesofgravel。Oftenthereareworsethingsstill:theexteriorofthetentbecomesacharnel-house。Here，hunguporembedded，arethedrycarcassesofOpatra，AsidaeandotherTenebrionidae{39}thatfavourunderrockshelters；segmentsofIuli，{40}bleachedbythesun；shellsofPupae，{41}commonamongthestones；and，lastly，Snail-shells，selectedfromamongthesmallest。
Theserelicsareobviously，forthemostpart，table-leavings，brokenvictuals。Unversedinthetrapper’sart，theClothocourseshergameandlivesuponthevagrantswhowanderfromonestonetoanother。Whosoventuresundertheslabatnightisstrangledbythehostess；andthedried-upcarcass，insteadofbeingflungtoadistance，ishungtothesilkenwall，asthoughtheSpiderwishedtomakeabogey-houseofherhome。Butthiscannotbeheraim。Toactliketheogrewhohangshisvictimsfromthecastlebattlementsistheworstwaytodisarmsuspicioninthepassers-bywhomyouarelyinginwaittocapture。
Thereareotherreasonswhichincreaseourdoubts。Theshellshunguparemostoftenempty；buttherearealsosomeoccupiedbytheSnail，aliveanduntouched。WhatcantheClothodowithaPupacinerea，aPupaquadridensandothernarrowspiralswhereintheanimalretreatstoaninaccessibledepth？TheSpiderisincapableofbreakingthecalcareousshellorofgettingatthehermitthroughtheopening。Thenwhyshouldshecollectthoseprizes，whoseslimyfleshisprobablynottohertaste？Webegintosuspectasimplequestionofballastandbalance。TheHouseSpider，orTegenariadomestica，preventsherweb，spuninacornerofthewall，fromlosingitsshapeattheleastbreathofair，byloadingitwithcrumblingplasterandallowingtinyfragmentsofmortartoaccumulate。Arewefacetofacewithasimilarprocess？
Letustryexperiment，whichispreferabletoanyamountofconjecture。
ToreartheClothoisnotanarduousundertaking；wearenotobligedtotaketheheavyflagstone，onwhichthedwellingisbuilt，awaywithus。Averysimpleoperationsuffices。Iloosenthefasteningswithmypocket-knife。TheSpiderhassuchstay-at-
homewaysthatsheveryrarelymakesoff。Besides，Iusetheutmostdiscretioninmyrapeofthehouse。AndsoIcarryawaythebuilding，togetherwithitsowner，inapaperbag。
Theflatstones，whicharetooheavytomoveandwhichwouldoccupytoomuchroomuponmytable，arereplacedeitherbydealdisks，whichonceformedpartofcheese-boxes，orbyroundpiecesofcardboard。Iarrangeeachsilkenhammockunderoneofthesebyitself，fasteningtheangularprojections，onebyone，withstripsofgummedpaper。Thewholestandsonthreeshortpillarsandgivesaveryfairimitationoftheunderrockshelterintheformofasmalldolmen。Throughoutthisoperation，ifyouarecarefultoavoidshocksandjolts，theSpiderremainsindoors。Finally，eachapparatusisplacedunderawire-gauze，bell-shapedcage，whichstandsinadishfilledwithsand。
Wecanhaveananswerbythenextmorning。If，amongthecabinsswungfromtheceilingsofthedealorcardboarddolmens，therebeonethatisalldilapidated，thatwasseriouslyknockedoutofshapeatthetimeofremoval，theSpiderabandonsitduringthenightandinstalsherselfelsewhere，sometimesevenonthetrellis-
workofthewirecage。
Thenewtent，theworkofafewhours，attainshardlythediameterofatwo-francpiece。Itisbuilt，however，onthesameprinciplesastheoldmanor-houseandconsistsoftwothinsheetslaidoneabovetheother，theupperoneflatandformingatester，thelowercurvedandpocket-shaped。Thetextureisextremelydelicate:theleasttriflewoulddeformit，tothedetrimentoftheavailablespace，whichisalreadymuchreducedandonlyjustsufficientfortherecluse。
Well，whathastheSpiderdonetokeepthegossamerstretched，tosteadyitandtomakeitretainitsgreatestcapacity？Exactlywhatourstatictreatiseswouldadvisehertodo:shehasballastedherstructure，shehasdoneherbesttoloweritscentreofgravity。Fromtheconvexsurfaceofthepockethanglongchapletsofgrainsofsandstrungtogetherwithslendersilkencords。Tothesesandystalactites，whichformabushybeard，areaddedafewheavylumpshungseparatelyandlowerdown，attheendofathread。Thewholeisapieceofballast-work，anapparatusforensuringequilibriumandtension。
Thepresentedifice，hastilyconstructedinthespaceofanight，isthefrailroughsketchofwhatthehomewillafterwardsbecome。
Successivelayerswillbeaddedtoit；andthepartition-wallwillgrowintoathickblanketcapableofpartlyretaining，byitsownweight，therequisitecurveandcapacity。TheSpidernowabandonsthestalactitesofsand，whichwereusedtokeeptheoriginalpocketstretched，andconfinesherselftodumpingdownonherabodeanymoreorlessheavyobject，mainlycorpsesofinsects，becausesheneednotlookfortheseandfindsthemreadytohandaftereachmeal。Theyareweights，nottrophies；theytaketheplaceofmaterialsthatmustotherwisebecollectedfromadistanceandhoistedtothetop。Inthisway，abreastworkisobtainedthatstrengthensandsteadiesthehouse。Additionalequilibriumisoftensuppliedbytinyshellsandotherobjectshangingalongwaydown。
Whatwouldhappenifonerobbedanolddwelling，longsincecompleted，ofitsoutercovering？Incaseofsuchadisaster，wouldtheSpidergobacktothesandystalactites，asareadymeansofrestoringstability？Thisiseasilyascertained。Inmyhamletsunderwire，Iselectafair-sizedcabin。Istriptheexterior，carefullyremovinganyforeignbody。Thesilkreappearsinitsoriginalwhiteness。Thetentlooksmagnificent，butseemstometoolimp。
ThisisalsotheSpider’sopinion。Shesetstowork，nextevening，toputthingsright。Andhow？Oncemorewithhangingstringsofsand。Inafewnights，thesilkbagbristleswithalong，thickbeardofstalactites，acuriouspieceofwork，excellentlyadaptedtomaintainthewebinanunvariedcurve。Evensoarethecablesofasuspension-bridgesteadiedbytheweightofthesuperstructure。
Later，astheSpidergoesonfeeding，theremainsofthevictualsareembeddedinthewall，thesandisshakenandgraduallydropsawayandthehomeresumesitscharnel-houseappearance。Thisbringsustothesameconclusionasbefore:theClothoknowsherstatics；bymeansofadditionalweights，sheisabletolowerthecentreofgravityandthustogiveherdwellingtheproperequilibriumandcapacity。
Nowwhatdoesshedoinhersoftly-waddedhome？Nothing，thatI
knowof。Withafullstomach，herlegsluxuriouslystretchedoverthedownycarpet，shedoesnothing，thinksofnothing；shelistenstothesoundofearthrevolvingonitsaxis。Itisnotsleep，stilllessisitwaking；itisamiddlestatewherenaughtprevailssaveadreamyconsciousnessofwell-being。Weourselves，whencomfortablyinbed，enjoy，justbeforewefallasleep，afewmomentsofbliss，thepreludetocessationofthoughtanditstrainofworries；andthosemomentsareamongthesweetestinourlives。
TheClothoseemstoknowsimilarmomentsandtomakethemostofthem。
IfIpushopenthedoorofthecabin，invariablyIfindtheSpiderlyingmotionless，asthoughinendlessmeditation。Itneedstheteasingofastrawtorouseherfromherapathy。Itneedstheprickofhungertobringheroutofdoors；and，assheisextremelytemperate，herappearancesoutsidearefewandfarbetween。Duringthreeyearsofassiduousobservation，intheprivacyofmystudy，I
havenotonceseenherexplorethedomainofthewirecagebyday。
Notuntilalatehouratnightdoessheventureforthinquestofvictuals；anditishardlyfeasibletofollowheronherexcursions。
Patienceonceenabledmetofindher，atteno’clockintheevening，takingtheairontheflatroofofherhouse，whereshewasdoubtlesswaitingforthegametopass。Startledbythelightofmycandle，theloverofdarknessatoncereturnedindoors，refusingtorevealanyofhersecrets。Only，nextday，therewasonemorecorpsehangingfromthewallofthecabin，aproofthatthechasewassuccessfullyresumedaftermydeparture。
TheClotho，whoisnotonlynocturnal，butalsoexcessivelyshy，concealsherhabitsfromus；sheshowsusherworks，thoseprecioushistoricaldocuments，buthidesheractions，especiallythelaying，whichIestimateapproximatelytotakeplaceinOctober。Thesumtotaloftheeggsisdividedintofiveorsixsmall，flat，lentiformpockets，which，takentogether，occupythegreaterpartofthematernalhome。Thesecapsuleshaveeachtheirownpartition-wallofsuperbwhitesatin，buttheyaresocloselysoldered，bothtogetherandtothefloorofthehouse，thatitisimpossibletopartthemwithouttearingthem，impossible，therefore，toobtainthemseparately。Theeggsinallamounttoaboutahundred。
Themothersitsupontheheapofpocketswiththesamedevotionasabroodinghen。Maternityhasnotwitheredher。Althoughdecreasedinbulk，sheretainsanexcellentlookofhealth；herroundbellyandherwell-stretchedskintellusfromthefirstthatherpartisnotyetwhollyplayed。
Thehatchingtakesplaceearly。Novemberhasnotarrivedbeforethepocketscontaintheyoung:weethingscladinblack，withfiveyellowspecks，exactlyliketheirelders。Thenew-borndonotleavetheirrespectivenurseries。Packedclosetogether，theyspendthewholeofthewintryseasonthere，whilethemother，squattingonthepileofcells，watchesoverthegeneralsafety，withoutknowingherfamilyotherthanbythegentletrepidationsfeltthroughthepartitionsofthetinychambers。TheLabyrinthSpiderhasshownushowshemaintainsapermanentsittingfortwomonthsinherguard-room，todefend，incaseofneed，thebroodwhichshewillneversee。TheClothodoesthesameduringeightmonths，thusearningtherighttoseteyesforalittlewhileonherfamilytrottingaroundherinthemaincabinandtoassistatthefinalexodus，thegreatjourneyundertakenattheendofathread。
Whenthesummerheatarrives，inJune，theyoungones，probablyaidedbytheirmother，piercethewallsoftheircells，leavethematernaltent，ofwhichtheyknowthesecretoutletwell，taketheaironthethresholdforafewhoursandthenflyaway，carriedtosomedistancebyafunicularaeroplane，thefirstproductoftheirspinning-mill。
TheelderClothoremainsbehind，carelessofthisemigrationwhichleavesheralone。Sheisfarfrombeingfadedindeed，shelooksyoungerthanever。Herfreshcolour，herrobustappearancesuggestgreatlengthoflife，capableofproducingasecondfamily。OnthissubjectIhavebutonedocument，aprettyfar-reachingone，however。TherewereafewmotherswhoseactionsIhadthepatiencetowatch，despitethewearisomeminutiaeoftherearingandtheslownessoftheresult。Theseabandonedtheirdwellingsafterthedepartureoftheiryoung；andeachwenttoweaveanewoneforherselfonthewirenet-workofthecage。
Theywererough-and-readysummaries，theworkofanight。Twohangings，oneabovetheother，theupperoneflat，thelowerconcaveandballastedwithstalactitesofgrainsofsand，formedthenewhome，which，strengtheneddailybyfreshlayers，promisedtobecomesimilartotheoldone。WhydoestheSpiderdesertherformermansion，whichisinnowaydilapidated——farfromit——andstillexceedinglyserviceable，asfarasonecanjudge？UnlessI
ammistaken，IthinkIhaveaninklingofthereason。
Theoldcabin，comfortablywaddedthoughitbe，possessesseriousdisadvantages:itislitteredwiththeruinsofthechildren’snurseries。Theseruinsaresoclose-weldedtotherestofthehomethatmyforcepscannotextractthemwithoutdifficulty；andtoremovethemwouldbeanexhaustingbusinessfortheClothoandpossiblybeyondherstrength。ItisacaseoftheresistanceofGordianknots，whichnoteventheveryspinstresswhofastenedthemiscapableofuntying。Theencumberinglitter，therefore，willremain。
IftheSpiderweretostayalone，thereductionofspace，whenallissaid，wouldhardlymattertoher:shewantssolittleroom，merelyenoughtomovein！Besides，whenyouhavespentsevenoreightmonthsinthecrampingpresenceofthosebedchambers，whatcanbethereasonofasuddenneedforgreaterspace？Iseebutone:theSpiderrequiresaroomyhabitation，notforherself——sheissatisfiedwiththesmallestden——butforasecondfamily。Whereisshetoplacethepocketsofeggs，iftheruinsofthepreviouslayingremainintheway？Anewbroodrequiresanewhome。That，nodoubt，iswhy，feelingthatherovariesarenotyetdriedup，theSpidershiftsherquartersandfoundsanewestablishment。
Thefactsobservedareconfinedtothischangeofdwelling。I
regretthatotherinterestsandthedifficultiesattendantuponalongupbringingdidnotallowmetopursuethequestionanddefinitelytosettlethematteroftherepeatedlayingsandthelongevityoftheClotho，asIdidinthatoftheLycosa。
BeforetakingleaveofthisSpider，letusglanceatacuriousproblemwhichhasalreadybeensetbytheLycosa’soffspring。Whencarriedforsevenmonthsonthemother’sback，theykeepintrainingasagilegymnastswithouttakinganynourishment。Itisafamiliarexerciseforthem，afterafall，whichfrequentlyoccurs，toscrambleupalegoftheirmountandnimblytoresumetheirplaceinthesaddle。Theyexpendenergywithoutreceivinganymaterialsustenance。
ThesonsoftheClotho，theLabyrinthSpiderandmanyothersconfrontuswiththesameriddle:theymove，yetdonoteat。Atanyperiodofthenurserystage，evenintheheartofwinter，onthebleakdaysofJanuary，Itearthepocketsoftheoneandthetabernacleoftheother，expectingtofindtheswarmofyoungsterslyinginastateofcompleteinertia，numbedbythecoldandbylackoffood。Well，theresultisquitedifferent。Theinstanttheircellsarebrokenopen，theanchoritesrunoutandfleeineverydirectionasnimblyasatthebestmomentsoftheirnormalliberty。Itismarvelloustoseethemscamperingabout。NobroodofPartridges，stumbleduponbyaDog，scattersmorepromptly。
Chicks，whilestillnomorethantinyballsofyellowfluff，hastenupatthemother’scallandscurrytowardstheplateofrice。
Habithasmadeusindifferenttothespectacleofthoseprettylittleanimalmachines，whichworksonimblyandwithsuchprecision；wepaynoattention，sosimpledoesitallappeartous。
Scienceexaminesandlooksatthingsdifferently。Shesaystoherself:
’Nothingismadewithnothing。Thechickfeedsitself；itconsumesorratheritassimilatesandturnsthefoodintoheat，whichisconvertedintoenergy。’
Wereanyonetotellusofachickwhich，forsevenoreightmonthsonend，keptitselfinconditionforrunning，alwaysfit，alwaysbrisk，withouttakingtheleastbeakfulofnourishmentfromthedaywhenitlefttheegg，wecouldfindnowordsstrongenoughtoexpressourincredulity。NowthisparadoxofactivitymaintainedwithoutthestayoffoodisrealizedbytheClothoSpiderandothers。
IbelieveIhavemadeitsufficientlyclearthattheyoungLycosaetakenofoodaslongastheyremainwiththeirmother。Strictlyspeaking，doubtisjustadmissible，forobservationisneedsdumbastowhatmayhappenearlierorlaterwithinthemysteriesoftheburrow。Itseemspossiblethattherepletedmothermaytheredisgorgetoherfamilyamiteofthecontentsofhercrop。TothissuggestiontheClothoundertakestomakereply。
LiketheLycosa，sheliveswithherfamily；buttheClothoisseparatedfromthembythewallsofthecellsinwhichthelittleonesarehermeticallyenclosed。Inthiscondition，thetransmissionofsolidnourishmentbecomesimpossible。Shouldanyoneentertainatheoryofnutritivehumourscastupbythemotherandfilteringthroughthepartitionsatwhichtheprisonersmightcomeanddrink，theLabyrinthSpiderwouldatoncedispeltheidea。
Shediesafewweeksafterheryoungarehatched；andthechildren，stilllockedintheirsatinbed-chamberforthebestpartoftheyear，arenonethelessactive。
Canitbethattheyderivesustenancefromthesilkenwrapper？Dotheyeattheirhouse？Thesuppositionisnotabsurd，forwehaveseentheEpeirae，beforebeginninganewweb，swallowtheruinsoftheold。Buttheexplanationcannotbeaccepted，aswelearnfromtheLycosa，whosefamilyboastsnosilkyscreen。Inshort，itiscertainthattheyoung，ofwhateverspecies，takeabsolutelynonourishment。
Lastly，wewonderwhethertheymaypossesswithinthemselvesreservesthatcomefromtheegg，fattyorothermattersthegradualcombustionofwhichwouldbetransformedintomechanicalforce。Iftheexpenditureofenergywereofbutshortduration，afewhoursorafewdays，wecouldgladlywelcomethisideaofamotorviaticum，theattributeofeverycreaturebornintotheworld。Thechickpossessesitinahighdegree:itissteadyonitslegs，itmovesforalittlewhilewiththesoleaidofthefoodwherewiththeeggfurnishesit；butsoon，ifthestomachisnotkeptsupplied，thecentreofenergybecomesextinctandthebirddies。
Howwouldthechickfareifitwereexpected，forsevenoreightmonthswithoutstopping，tostandonitsfeet，torunabout，tofleeinthefaceofdanger？Wherewoulditstowthenecessaryreservesforsuchanamountofwork？
ThelittleSpider，inherturn，isaminuteparticleofnosizeatall。Wherecouldshestoreenoughfueltokeepupmobilityduringsolongaperiod？Theimaginationshrinksindismaybeforethethoughtofanatomendowedwithinexhaustiblemotiveoils。
Wemustneeds，therefore，appealtotheimmaterial，inparticulartoheat-rayscomingfromtheoutsideandconvertedintomovementbytheorganism。Thisisnutritionofenergyreducedtoitssimplestexpression:themotiveheat，insteadofbeingextractedfromthefood，isutilizeddirect，assuppliedbythesun，whichistheseatofalllife。Inertmatterhasdisconcertingsecrets，aswitnessradium；livingmatterhassecretsofitsown，whicharemorewonderfulstill。NothingtellsusthatsciencewillnotonedayturnthesuspicionsuggestedbytheSpiderintoanestablishedtruthandafundamentaltheoryofphysiology。
APPENDIX:THEGEOMETRYOFTHEEPEIRA’SWEB
Ifindmyselfconfrontedwithasubjectwhichisnotonlyhighlyinteresting，butsomewhatdifficult:notthatthesubjectisobscure；butitpresupposesinthereaderacertainknowledgeofgeometry:astrongmeattoooftenneglected。Iamnotaddressinggeometricians，whoaregenerallyindifferenttoquestionsofinstinct，norentomologicalcollectors，who，assuch，takenointerestinmathematicaltheorems；Iwriteforanyonewithsufficientintelligencetoenjoythelessonswhichtheinsectteaches。
WhatamItodo？TosuppressthischapterweretoleaveoutthemostremarkableinstanceofSpiderindustry；totreatitasitshouldbetreated，thatistosay，withthewholearmouryofscientificformulae，wouldbeoutofplaceinthesemodestpages。
Letustakeamiddlecourse，avoidingbothabstrusetruthsandcompleteignorance。
LetusdirectourattentiontothenetsoftheEpeirae，preferablytothoseoftheSilkyEpeiraandtheBandedEpeira，soplentifulintheautumn，inmypartofthecountry，andsoremarkablefortheirbulk。Weshallfirstobservethattheradiiareequallyspaced；
theanglesformedbyeachconsecutivepairareofperceptiblyequalvalue；andthisinspiteoftheirnumber，whichinthecaseoftheSilkyEpeiraexceedstwoscore。WeknowbywhatstrangemeanstheSpiderattainsherendsanddividestheareawhereinthewebistobewarpedintoalargenumberofequalsectors，anumberwhichisalmostinvariableintheworkofeachspecies。Anoperationwithoutmethod，governed，onemightimagine，byanirresponsiblewhim，resultsinabeautifulrose-windowworthyofourcompasses。
Weshallalsonoticethat，ineachsector，thevariouschords，theelementsofthespiralwindings，areparalleltooneanotherandgraduallydrawclosertogetherastheynearthecentre。Withthetworadiatinglinesthatframethemtheyformobtuseanglesononesideandacuteanglesontheother；andtheseanglesremainconstantinthesamesector，becausethechordsareparallel。
Thereismorethanthis:thesesameangles，theobtuseaswellastheacute，donotalterinvalue，fromonesectortoanother，atanyratesofarastheconscientiouseyecanjudge。Takenasawhole，therefore，therope-latticededificeconsistsofaseriesofcross-barsintersectingtheseveralradiatinglinesobliquelyatanglesofequalvalue。
Bythischaracteristicwerecognizethe’logarithmicspiral。’
Geometriciansgivethisnametothecurvewhichintersectsobliquely，atanglesofunvaryingvalue，allthestraightlinesor’radiivectores’radiatingfromacentrecalledthe’Pole。’TheEpeira’sconstruction，therefore，isaseriesofchordsjoiningtheintersectionsofalogarithmicspiralwithaseriesofradii。Itwouldbecomemergedinthisspiralifthenumberofradiiwereinfinite，forthiswouldreducethelengthoftherectilinearelementsindefinitelyandchangethispolygonallineintoacurve。
Tosuggestanexplanationwhythisspiralhassogreatlyexercisedthemeditationsofscience，letusconfineourselvesforthepresenttoafewstatementsofwhichthereaderwillfindtheproofinanytreatiseonhighergeometry。
Thelogarithmicspiraldescribesanendlessnumberofcircuitsarounditspole，towhichitconstantlydrawsnearerwithouteverbeingabletoreachit。Thiscentralpointisindefinitelyinaccessibleateachapproachingturn。Itisobviousthatthispropertyisbeyondoursensoryscope。Evenwiththehelpofthebestphilosophicalinstruments，oursightcouldnotfollowitsinterminablewindingsandwouldsoonabandontheattempttodividetheinvisible。Itisavolutetowhichthebrainconceivesnolimits。Thetrainedmind，alone，morediscerningthanourretina，seesclearlythatwhichdefiestheperceptivefacultiesoftheeye。
TheEpeiracompliestothebestofherabilitywiththislawoftheendlessvolute。Thespiralrevolutionscomeclosertogetherastheyapproachthepole。Atagivendistance，theystopabruptly；
but，atthispoint，theauxiliaryspiral，whichisnotdestroyedinthecentralregion，takesupthethread；andweseeit，notwithoutsomesurprise，drawnearertothepoleinever-narrowingandscarcelyperceptiblecircles。Thereisnot，ofcourse，absolutemathematicalaccuracy，butaverycloseapproximationtothataccuracy。TheEpeirawindsnearerandnearerroundherpole，sofarasherequipment，which，likeourown，isdefective，willallowher。Onewouldbelievehertobethoroughlyversedinthelawsofthespiral。
Iwillcontinuetosetforth，withoutexplanations，someofthepropertiesofthiscuriouscurve。Pictureaflexiblethreadwoundroundalogarithmicspiral。Ifwethenunwindit，keepingittautthewhile，itsfreeextremitywilldescribeaspiralsimilaratallpointstotheoriginal。Thecurvewillmerelyhavechangedplaces。
JacquesBernouilli，{42}towhomgeometryowesthismagnificenttheorem，hadengravedonhistomb，asoneofhisproudesttitlestofame，thegeneratingspiralanditsdouble，begottenoftheunwindingofthethread。Aninscriptionproclaimed，’Eademmutataresurgo:Iriseagainlikeuntomyself。’Geometrywouldfinditdifficulttobetterthissplendidflightoffancytowardsthegreatproblemofthehereafter。
Thereisanothergeometricalepitaphnolessfamous。Cicero，whenquaestorinSicily，searchingforthetombofArchimedesamidthethornsandbramblesthatcoveruswithoblivion，recognizedit，amongtheruins，bythegeometricalfigureengraveduponthestone:
thecylindercircumscribingthesphere。Archimedes，infact，wasthefirsttoknowtheapproximaterelationofcircumferencetodiameter；fromithededucedtheperimeterandsurfaceofthecircle，aswellasthesurfaceandvolumeofthesphere。Heshowedthatthesurfaceandvolumeofthelast-namedequaltwo-thirdsofthesurfaceandvolumeofthecircumscribingcylinder。Disdainingallpompousinscription，thelearnedSyracusanhonouredhimselfwithhistheoremashissoleepitaph。Thegeometricalfigureproclaimedtheindividual’snameasplainlyaswouldanyalphabeticalcharacters。
Tohavedonewiththispartofoursubject，hereisanotherpropertyofthelogarithmicspiral。Rollthecurvealonganindefinitestraightline。Itspolewillbecomedisplacedwhilestillkeepingononestraightline。Theendlessscrollleadstorectilinearprogression；theperpetuallyvariedbegetsuniformity。
Nowisthislogarithmicspiral，withitscuriousproperties，merelyaconceptionofthegeometers，combiningnumberandextent，atwill，soastoimagineatenebrousabysswhereintopractisetheiranalyticalmethodsafterwards？Isitameredreaminthenightoftheintricate，anabstractriddleflungoutforourunderstandingtobrowseupon？
No，itisarealityintheserviceoflife，amethodofconstructionfrequentlyemployedinanimalarchitecture。TheMollusc，inparticular，neverrollsthewindingrampoftheshellwithoutreferencetothescientificcurve。Thefirst-bornofthespeciesknewitandputitintopractice；itwasasperfectinthedawnofcreationasitcanbeto-day。
Letusstudy，inthisconnection，theAmmonites，thosevenerablerelicsofwhatwasoncethehighestexpressionoflivingthings，atthetimewhenthesolidlandwastakingshapefromtheoceanicooze。Cutandpolishedlength-wise，thefossilshowsamagnificentlogarithmicspiral，thegeneralpatternofthedwellingwhichwasapearlpalace，withnumerouschamberstraversedbyasiphuncularcorridor。
Tothisday，thelastrepresentativeoftheCephalopodawithpartitionedshells，theNautilusoftheSouthernSeas，remainsfaithfultotheancientdesign；ithasnotimproveduponitsdistantpredecessors。Ithasalteredthepositionofthesiphuncle，hasplaceditinthecentreinsteadofleavingitontheback，butitstillwhirlsitsspirallogarithmicallyasdidtheAmmonitesintheearliestagesoftheworld’sexistence。
AndletusnotrunawaywiththeideathattheseprincesoftheMollusctribehaveamonopolyofthescientificcurve。Inthestagnantwatersofourgrassyditches，theflatshells，thehumblePlanorbes，sometimesnobiggerthanaduckweed，viewiththeAmmoniteandtheNautilusinmattersofhighergeometry。Atleastoneofthem，Planorbisvortex，forexample，isamarveloflogarithmicwhorls。
Inthelong-shapedshells，thestructurebecomesmorecomplex，thoughremainingsubjecttothesamefundamentallaws。IhavebeforemyeyessomespeciesofthegenusTerebra，fromNewCaledonia。Theyareextremelytaperingcones，attainingalmostnineinchesinlength。Theirsurfaceissmoothandquiteplain，withoutanyoftheusualornaments，suchasfurrows，knotsorstringsofpearls。Thespiraledificeissuperb，gracedwithitsownsimplicityalone。Icountascoreofwhorlswhichgraduallydecreaseuntiltheyvanishinthedelicatepoint。Theyareedgedwithafinegroove。
Itakeapencilanddrawaroughgeneratinglinetothiscone；and，relyingmerelyontheevidenceofmyeyes，whicharemoreorlesspractisedingeometricmeasurements，Ifindthatthespiralgrooveintersectsthisgeneratinglineatanangleofunvaryingvalue。
Theconsequenceofthisresultiseasilydeduced。Ifprojectedonaplaneperpendiculartotheaxisoftheshell，thegeneratinglinesoftheconewouldbecomeradii；andthegroovewhichwindsupwardsfromthebasetotheapexwouldbeconvertedintoaplanecurvewhich，meetingthoseradiiatanunvaryingangle，wouldbeneithermorenorlessthanalogarithmicspiral。Conversely，thegrooveoftheshellmaybeconsideredastheprojectionofthisspiralonaconicsurface。
Betterstill。Letusimagineaplaneperpendiculartotheaidsoftheshellandpassingthroughitssummit。Letusimagine，moreover，athreadwoundalongthespiralgroove。Letusunrollthethread，holdingittautaswedoso。Itsextremitywillnotleavetheplaneandwilldescribealogarithmicspiralwithinit。
Itis，inamorecomplicateddegree，avariantofBernouilli’s’Eademmutataresurgo:’thelogarithmicconiccurvebecomesalogarithmicplanecurve。
Asimilargeometryisfoundintheothershellswithelongatedcones，Turritellae，Spindle-shells，Cerithia，aswellasintheshellswithflattenedcones，Trochidae，Turbines。Thesphericalshells，thosewhirledintoavolute，arenoexceptiontothisrule。
All，downtothecommonSnail-shell，areconstructedaccordingtologarithmiclaws。ThefamousspiralofthegeometersisthegeneralplanfollowedbytheMolluscrollingitsstonesheath。
Wheredotheseglairycreaturespickupthisscience？WearetoldthattheMolluscderivesfromtheWorm。Oneday，theWorm，renderedfriskybythesun，emancipateditself，brandisheditstailandtwisteditintoacorkscrewforsheerglee。Thereandthentheplanofthefuturespiralshellwasdiscovered。
Thisiswhatistaughtquiteseriously，inthesedays，astheverylastwordinscientificprogress。Itremainstobeseenuptowhatpointtheexplanationisacceptable。TheSpider，forherpart，willhavenoneofit。Unrelatedtotheappendix-lacking，corkscrew-twirlingWorm，sheisneverthelessfamiliarwiththelogarithmicspiral。Fromthecelebratedcurvesheobtainsmerelyasortofframework；but，elementarythoughthisframeworkbe，itclearlymarkstheidealedifice。TheEpeiraworksonthesameprinciplesastheMolluscoftheconvolutedshell。
TheMolluschasyearswhereintoconstructitsspiralanditusestheutmostfinishinthewhirlingprocess。TheEpeira，tospreadhernet，hasbutanhour’ssittingatthemost，whereforethespeedatwhichsheworkscompelshertorestcontentwithasimplerproduction。Sheshortensthetaskbyconfiningherselftoaskeletonofthecurvewhichtheotherdescribestoperfection。
TheEpeira，therefore，isversedinthegeometricsecretsoftheAmmoniteandtheNautiluspompilus；sheuses，inasimplerform，thelogarithmiclinedeartotheSnail。Whatguidesher？Thereisnoappealheretoawriggleofsomekind，asinthecaseoftheWormthatambitiouslyaspirestobecomeaMollusc。Theanimalmustneedscarrywithinitselfavirtualdiagramofitsspiral。
Accident，howeverfruitfulinsurpriseswemaypresumeittobe，canneverhavetaughtitthehighergeometrywhereinourownintelligenceatoncegoesastray，withoutastrictpreliminarytraining。
ArewetorecognizeamereeffectoforganicstructureintheEpeira’sart？Wereadilythinkofthelegs，which，endowedwithaveryvaryingpowerofextension，mightserveascompasses。Moreorlessbent，moreorlessoutstretched，theywouldmechanicallydeterminetheanglewhereatthespiralshallintersecttheradius；
theywouldmaintaintheparallelofthechordsineachsector。
Certainobjectionsarisetoaffirmthat，inthisinstance，thetoolisnotthesoleregulatorofthework。Werethearrangementofthethreaddeterminedbythelengthofthelegs，weshouldfindthespiralvolutesseparatedmorewidelyfromoneanotherinproportiontothegreaterlengthofimplementinthespinstress。WeseethisintheBandedEpeiraandtheSilkyEpeira。Thefirsthaslongerlimbsandspaceshercross-threadsmoreliberallythandoesthesecond，whoselegsareshorter。
Butwemustnotrelytoomuchonthisrule，sayothers。TheAngularEpeira，thePaletintedEpeiraandtheCrossSpider，allthreemoreorlessshort-limbed，rivaltheBandedEpeirainthespacingoftheirlime-snares。Thelasttwoevendisposethemwithgreaterinterveningdistances。
Werecognizeinanotherrespectthattheorganizationoftheanimaldoesnotimplyanimmutabletypeofwork。Beforebeginningthestickyspiral，theEpeiraefirstspinanauxiliaryintendedtostrengthenthestays。Thisspiral，formedofplain，non-glutinousthread，startsfromthecentreandwindsinrapidly-wideningcirclestothecircumference。Itismerelyatemporaryconstruction，whereofnaughtbutthecentralpartsurviveswhentheSpiderhassetitslimymeshes。Thesecondspiral，theessentialpartofthesnare，proceeds，onthecontrary，inserriedcoilsfromthecircumferencetothecentreandiscomposedentirelyofviscouscross-threads。
Herewehave，followingoneaftertheothermerelybyasuddenalterationofthemachine，twovolutesofanentirelydifferentorderasregardsdirection，thenumberofwhorlsandintersection。
Bothofthemarelogarithmicspirals。Iseenomechanismofthelegs，betheylongorshort，thatcanaccountforthisalteration。
CanitthenbeapremeditateddesignonthepartoftheEpeira？
Cantherebecalculation，measurementofangles，gaugingoftheparallelbymeansoftheeyeorotherwise？Iaminclinedtothinkthatthereisnoneofallthis，oratleastnothingbutaninnatepropensity，whoseeffectstheanimalisnomoreabletocontrolthantheflowerisabletocontrolthearrangementofitsverticils。TheEpeirapractiseshighergeometrywithoutknowingorcaring。Thethingworksofitselfandtakesitsimpetusfromaninstinctimposeduponcreationfromthestart。
Thestonethrownbythehandreturnstoearthdescribingacertaincurve；thedeadleaftornandwaftedawaybyabreathofwindmakesitsjourneyfromthetreetothegroundwithasimilarcurve。Onneithertheonesidenortheotheristhereanyactionbythemovingbodytoregulatethefall；nevertheless，thedescenttakesplaceaccordingtoascientifictrajectory，the’parabola，’ofwhichthesectionofaconebyaplanefurnishedtheprototypetothegeometer’sspeculations。Afigure，whichwasatfirstbutatentativeglimpse，becomesarealitybythefallofapebbleoutofthevertical。
Thesamespeculationstakeuptheparabolaoncemore，imagineitrollingonanindefinitestraightlineandaskwhatcoursedoesthefocusofthiscurvefollow。Theanswercomes:Thefocusoftheparaboladescribesa’catenary，’alineverysimpleinshape，butendowedwithanalgebraicsymbolthathastoresorttoakindofcabalisticnumberatvariancewithanysortofnumeration，somuchsothattheunitrefusestoexpressit，howevermuchwesubdividetheunit。Itiscalledthenumbere。Itsvalueisrepresentedbythefollowingseriescarriedoutadinfinitum:
e=11/11/1*21/1*2*31/1*2*3*41/1*2*3*4*5
etcIfthereaderhadthepatiencetoworkoutthefewinitialtermsofthisseries，whichhasnolimit，becausetheseriesofnaturalnumeralsitselfhasnone，hewouldfind:
e=2。7182818……
Withthisweirdnumberarewenowstationedwithinthestrictlydefinedrealmoftheimagination？Notatall:thecatenaryappearsactuallyeverytimethatweightandflexibilityactinconcert。Thenameisgiventothecurveformedbyachainsuspendedbytwoofitspointswhicharenotplacedonaverticalline。Itistheshapetakenbyaflexiblecordwhenheldateachendandrelaxed；itisthelinethatgovernstheshapeofasailbellyinginthewind；itisthecurveofthenanny-goat’smilk-bagwhenshereturnsfromfillinghertrailingudder。Andallthisanswerstothenumbere。
Whataquantityofabstrusescienceforabitofstring！Letusnotbesurprised。Apelletofshotswingingattheendofathread，adropofdewtricklingdownastraw，asplashofwaterripplingunderthekissesoftheair，ameretrifle，afterall，requiresatitanicscaffoldingwhenwewishtoexamineitwiththeeyeofcalculation。WeneedtheclubofHerculestocrushafly。
Ourmethodsofmathematicalinvestigationarecertainlyingenious；
wecannottoomuchadmirethemightybrainsthathaveinventedthem；buthowslowandlaborioustheyappearwhencomparedwiththesmallestactualities！Willitneverbegiventoustoproberealityinasimplerfashion？Willourintelligencebeableonedaytodispensewiththeheavyarsenalofformulae？Whynot？
Herewehavetheabracadabricnumberereappearing，inscribedonaSpider’sthread。Letusexamine，onamistymorning，themeshworkthathasbeenconstructedduringthenight。Owingtotheirhygrometricalnature，thestickythreadsareladenwithtinydrops，and，bendingundertheburden，havebecomesomanycatenaries，somanychapletsoflimpidgems，gracefulchapletsarrangedinexquisiteorderandfollowingthecurveofaswing。Ifthesunpiercethemist，thewholelightsupwithiridescentfiresandbecomesaresplendentclusterofdiamonds。Thenumbereisinitsglory。
Geometry，thatistosay，thescienceofharmonyinspace，presidesovereverything。Wefinditinthearrangementofthescalesofafir-cone，asinthearrangementofanEpeira’slimyweb；wefinditinthespiralofaSnail-shell，inthechapletofaSpider’sthread，asintheorbitofaplanet；itiseverywhere，asperfectintheworldofatomsasintheworldofimmensities。
AndthisuniversalgeometrytellsusofanUniversalGeometrician，whosedivinecompasshasmeasuredallthings。Ipreferthat，asanexplanationofthelogarithmiccurveoftheAmmoniteandtheEpeira，totheWormscrewingupthetipofitstail。Itmaynotperhapsbeinaccordancewithlatter-dayteaching，butittakesaloftierflight。
Footnotes:
{1}Asmallormoderate-sizedspiderfoundamongfoliage——
Translator’sNote。
{2}LeonDufour1780-1865wasanarmysurgeonwhoservedwithdistinctioninseveralcampaignsandsubsequentlypractisedasadoctorintheLandes。Heattainedgreateminenceasanaturalist——
Translator’sNote。
{3}TheTarantulaisaLycosa，orWolf-spider。Fabre’sTarantula，theBlack-belliedTarantula，isidenticalwiththeNarbonneLycosa，underwhichnamethedescriptioniscontinuedinChaptersiii。tovi。，allofwhichwerewrittenataconsiderablylaterdatethanthepresentchapter——Translator’sNote。
{4}GiorgioBaglivi1669-1707，professorofanatomyandmedicineatRome——Translator’sNote。
{5}’Whenourhusbandmenwishtocatchthem，theyapproachtheirhiding-places，andplayonathingrasspipe，makingasoundnotunlikethehummingofbees。Hearingwhich，theTarantularushesoutfiercelythatshemaycatchthefliesorotherinsectsofthiskind，whosebuzzingshethinksittobe；butsheherselfiscaughtbyherrustictrapper。’
{6}Provencalforthebitofwastegroundonwhichtheauthorstudieshisinsectsinthenaturalstate——Translator’snote。
{7}’ThankstotheBumble-bee。’
{8}LiketheDung-beetles——Translator’sNote。
{9}LiketheSolitaryWasps——Translator’sNote。
{10}SuchastheHairyAmmophila，theCercerisandtheLanguedocianSphex，Digger-waspsdescribedinotheroftheauthor’sessays——Translator’sNote。
{11}Thedesnucador，theArgentineslaughtermanwhosemethodsofslayingcattlearedetailedintheauthor’sessayentitled，TheTheoryofInstinct——Translator’sNote。
{12}AfamilyofGrasshoppers——Translator’sNote。
{13}AgenusofBeetles——Translator’sNote。
{14}AspeciesofDigger-wasp——Translator’sNote。
{15}TheCicadaistheCigale，aninsectakintotheGrasshopperandfoundmoreparticularlyintheSouthofFrance——Translator’sNote。
{16}ThegenerictitleoftheworkfromwhichtheseessaysaretakenisEntomologicalMemories，or，StudiesrelatingtotheInstinctandHabitsofInsects——Translator’sNote。
{17}AspeciesofGrasshopper——Translator’sNote。
{18}AninsectakintotheLocustsandCrickets，which，whenatrest，adoptsanattituderesemblingthatofprayer。Whenattacking，itassumeswhatisknownas’thespectralattitude。’
Itsforelegsformasortofsaw-likeorbarbedharpoons。Cf。
SocialLifeintheInsectWorld，byJ。H。Fabre，translatedbyBernardMiall:chaps。v。tovii-Translator’sNote。
{19}。39inch——Translator’sNote。
{20}Theseexperimentsaredescribedintheauthor’sessayontheMasonBeesentitledFragmentsonInsectPsychology——Translator’sNote。
{21}AspeciesofWasp——Translator’sNote。
{22}InChap。VIII。ofthepresentvolume——Translator’sNote。
{23}JulesMichelet1798-1874，authorofL’OiseauandL’Insecte，inadditiontothehistoricalworksforwhichheischieflyknown。
Asalad，hehelpedhisfather，aprinterbytrade，insettingtype——Translator’sNote。
{24}ChapterIII。ofthepresentvolume——Translator’sNote。
{25}AspeciesofDung-beetle。Cf。TheLifeandLoveoftheInsect，byJ。HenriFabre，translatedbyAlexanderTeixeiradeMattos:chap。v——Translator’sNote。
{26}AspeciesofBeetle——Translator’sNote。
{27}Cf。InsectLife，byJ。H。Fabre，translatedbytheauthorofMademoiselleMori:chaps。i。andii。；TheLifeandLoveoftheInsect，byJ。HenriFabre，translatedbyAlexanderTeixeiradeMattos:chaps。i。toiv——Translator’sNote。
{28}ChapterII——Translator’sNote。
{29}。39inch——Translator’sNote。
{30}TheProcessionariesareMoth-caterpillarsthatfeedonvariousleavesandmarchinfile，layingasilkentrailastheygo——Translator’sNote。
{31}Theweeklyhalf-holidayinFrenchschools——Translator’sNote。
{32}Cf。SocialLifeintheInsectWorld，byJ。H。Fabre，translatedbyBernardMiall:chap。xiv——Translator’sNote。
{33}Cf。InsectLife，byJ。H。Fabre，translatedbytheauthorofMademoiselleMori:chap。v——Translator’sNote。
{34}TheScoliaisaDigger-wasp，liketheCercerisandtheSphex，andfeedsherlarvaeonthegrubsoftheCetonia，orRose-chafer，andtheOryctes，orRhinocerosBeetle。Cf。TheLifeandLoveoftheInsect，byJ。HenriFabre，translatedbyAlexanderTeixeiradeMattos:chap。xi——Translator’sNote。
{35}Cf。SocialLifeintheInsectWorld，byJ。H。Fabre，translatedbyBernardMiall。chap。xiii。，inwhichthenameisgiven，byaprinter’serror，asPhilanthusaviporus——Translator’sNote。
{36}OrBirdSpiders，knownalsoastheAmericanTarantula——
Translator’sNote。
{37}。059inch——Translator’sNote。
{38}TheIchneumon-fliesareverysmallinsectswhichcarrylongovipositors，wherewiththeylaytheireggsintheeggsofotherinsectsandalso，moreespecially，incaterpillars。Theirparasiticlarvaeliveanddevelopattheexpenseoftheeggorgrubattacked，whichdegeneratesinconsequence——Translator’sNote。
{39}OneofthelargestfamiliesofBeetles，darkishincolourandshunningthelight——Translator’sNote。
{40}TheIulusisoneofthefamilyofMyriapods，whichincludesCentipedes，etc——Translator’sNote。
{41}AspeciesofLand-snail——Translator’sNote。
{42}JacquesBernouilli1654-1705，professorofmathematicsattheUniversityofBaselfrom1687totheyearofhisdeath。Heimprovedthedifferentialcalculus，solvedtheisoperimetricalproblemanddiscoveredthepropertiesofthelogarithmicspiral——
Translator’sNote。
End