Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 282, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 December 1917 — Secret of Spider's Walk. [ARTICLE]

Secret of Spider's Walk.

The way a spider moves its eight legs in walking is interestingly described by a science authority. In order to observe this movement at his leisure —for it is usually too rapid to be followed by the human eye—he tired the spiders by making them swim and then let them walk* slowly, over a smooth surface. In this way he discovered : L The longest legs, those of the first and fourth pairs, move along Hues of their own directions by vertical bending of the joints ; the shorter legs of the second and third pairs move forward by rotation from the coxae (the joints connecting legs with the body)—at right angles to their own directions. 2. First near leg moves with third off leg; (a) second near leg moves with third off leg; (b) third near leg moves with second off leg; (c) fourth near leg moves with first off leg; (d). 8. Walking consists of (a) and (c) simultaneously, followed by (b) and (d) simultaneously.