Curious Habits of Spiders

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXI, Issue 38, 17 September 1903, Page 30

Curious Habits of Spiders

The water spider carries air down with it when it dives. Dr. McCook saw one remain forty-five minutes under water. The water-spider builds a nest under the water attached to the stem of some plant, and in the shape of a diving bell, with the opening downward. It fills this bell with air by taking down a bubble at a time. Coming to the surface it encloses an air bubble into its body and instantly descends. Getting under the nest the bubble is allowed to escape into it, and this process continues until the nest is full of air. The spider then lays its eggs there, enclosed in a cocoon, and leaves them to grow in this underwater palace safe from all flying foes When these water spiders are seen under water they look like little balls of shining silver. Little bubbles of air seem to cling among the hairs of their bodies. As spiders, like insects, breathe the air at little holes along the whole length of the body, they can easily make use of these bubbles of air for breathing.