THE VANISHING SPIDER.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 6225, 1 May 1899, Page 4

THE VANISHING SPIDER.

(flew Orleans Timts-Denwral). "My friend, tlio judge," snitl Uio orthern visitor lo Florida, " and 1 era treading a "long the idiftii llivoi'i not fur fro'" 'ho ockledge, Klu., ono morning, onjoyiir tho flloady south-east broezo In'oli nistlod tlio |mlniello leaves round us and ovorhcad, ami hiaporod in tlio sprawling oaks lmt ronohed ont giant limbs übovo s. Suddenly thojudgostopped and ud in a low tone, turning to mo t ho spoko: "Did you over boo ii isappearing-spider ?" " 1 1'vo soon I liom scuUlo away t my approach, if that '8 what you loan.' "'No; I mean a spider llmt molls mm sight whilo you look at him —vanishes from your sight without, uaving his place. If you novel' did on can sco ono now, for hero is ono cross tho path.' "Pointing loan orango-colourod pot in the contro of a web ho nggested thai I approach it and hreaten it with a small I wig which io bunded mo, Tho object looked iko a hugo drop of something of an nlenso orange imo in tlio middlo of i curious web. If ono will imagino i small filmy hammock lmngiiit? lerpendicularly ho can form an idea if tlio wob itself. 1 took tlio small lick, my cyo intently fixed on the icenpant of Iho wob, and approached t. As I menaced it with my stick t scorned suddenly to becomosovoral liaplianons individuals lying ono iver another. Then Iho outlines jnconio moro and moto indistinct intil it swiftly faded entirely from ,-iow, whilo somo small twigs at jitlier sido wore agitated violently. " 1 Now, stand porfeclly still for a 'ow minutes and seo it reappear,' mid Iho judgo. "I did so. Tho agitation of the twigs slowly subsidodand my spider jamo into sight by a process the reverse of that by which it had melted into nothingness. "' Wait a bit until ho bus got over his alarm somewhat, then approach very carefully and oxamino it,' was my friend's advice. I did so, getting upon all fours to bring my eye to tlio lovel of tho wob. Tho spider I found had a rather bloalod body. His long sprawling legs were so nearly transparent that I had not boon able to see them at a distnnco and they ended in large hooked claws by which ho clung to tho web, The latter was in length about three times its breadth,and was suspended by tho upper corners from slender twigs on either sido of tlio path, while the lower corners wero braced by other threads, like the upper ones, to other twigs. "Now I threatened him again. At onco ho began lo sway himself backward and forward violently until in a few minutes tho web was in violent commotion. As Iho motion increased Iho impression on the eye changed so rapidly that the mind could make no noto of it, and finally the place where the spider had been seemed to liavo become vacant. •"That,'said the judgo, 'is ono of tho curiosities of the Florida woods. Tho strango habit of this spider is his only protection against being gobbled up by birds. That very brightness of liuo which attracts the insects on which he feeds also makes him conspicuous to tlio birds which feed upon him. Ho is obliged to hang his web in an exposed place, because the insects he catches— those he wishes to catch, I mean—do not frequent the thickets. When he sees a bird swooping down upon him be agitates bis web and wlier the bird gels nearer tho quarry lias disappeared. It is his only defence his sole means of protection.'"