Rensselaer Republican, Volume 13, Number 9, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 November 1880 — The Garden Spider. [ARTICLE]

The Garden Spider.

The writer has often tested ta inteJU genceand perssveranMof the geometric', spider by the following, it must be admit tea, aggmvaHng expenmont. Tukic- . piece « paper ana rotting u between Ms fingers, he bee thrown it into the web, taking care that it io not hewvter than the weight of a fly. The spider rune along rgdicnytowards hSsmppseodprey and soon discovering it* —galstshle nalure, carefully dbrntangVa it, and drops it dearof tawebtota ground by stretching out hi* fint juntaaffhuman being might reach out his arm. He then tarns to his place in the centre, and in a moment er ao apiece es neper thrown into another part of the web. The spider acta aa before, and will clo so, without much variation, a few times. ThefJfti or sixth time he ruabee at the paper with w» appearance of anger, er rune an inch cr two along the strands asif enraged, and then back again; pauses a moment or so, as if to recover Na equanimity, and then goes briskly to Na diaapgpointment, and again carefally dtesatangM* the paper. AH these movements, from the evident fitting and intelligence shown, are full of interest to the observer of nature, and they ore sufficiently varied in individuals to make the experiment worth trying any number of times. Occasionally, for example, t-.j spider, after he has been deceived a few times, will stretch out all bis feet upon the strands, without moving from his place, and shake Ns web angrily; or he will Jar* the paper out much as one might fillip it away from between the finger and thumb, with a decisive sharpness very significant of passion. After awhile the spider will give up attacking his supposed prey. Throw in a dozen, twenty, thirty bits of paper, and he will remain passive; but give up your sport for five or ten minutes, and you- will again find him busily at work, going from piece to piece until the entire web is set free.