Show A SPIDER CATCHES FISH All but the Backbone Was Vas Devoured in a a. Few rew Minutes It was when I lIv lived In Natal r One day I 1 was vas catching small fish and aquatic Insects for Cor an aquarium and I 1 Iwas was using a small net In a shallow stream m I I happened to see lN on tho the edge of tho water vater a fine t spider which I captured On reaching n home I 1 placed In my specimen Iii a large larse where I 1 had hall a n number of small n ll The spider meas meas- measured about three inches when Its less legs Were extended The bo body 1 Is small but the tho le legs arc nrc long After hiding In the thc ork of the aquarium for some time Ume It H took up a very Yer Interesting position It rested two lens legs on a stone stono and lot the theother theother other six float on the w water ter well spread out The Tho ends of tho six legs thus commanded commanded com com- n a w well n defined area area- of water I I merel merely took notice of its attitude and left It to I Its own devices After J a a. few minutes m my servant boy camo namo Into m my study to say eay that the spider was eating one of ot my nw pet I at once went to ace what happened The Tho spider was wason wason wason on top of tho rockwork and it held In its grip a beautiful little fish about four our times Its own weight I 1 was startled How Mow could this spider which has no power to swim catch a n. 11 lively e I quick swimming flab fish It 5 seemed seamed J to clutch the Ush us as a cat clutches a mouse It soon began begun to devour our It its catch and before long nothing was 89 left loft of or tho the flab 81 but its backbone I I was is now eager to find out how the Spider caught the fish That night about 11 o'clock I 1 sat down by the aquarium to watch atch the spider It had taken up Its Us l on a n piece of or stone stono where the water vater was walS not ot deep and had thrown out its long legs leg over the water Their ox- ox extremities ex ox- rested on the surface and made little depressions on n it it but did not break the water Rater skin The tarsi of or two posterior posterior posterior pos pos- legs firmly held to a piece picco of rock Ju just ju t about bout at water wata level The whole bod body was well over the water and the head was about in ds tho center of the cordon cordon cordon cor cor- don of or leg legs Very ery near to toy the surface of tile tho water waler After J watching for some time I saw a small fifth fish swim toward the stone and I IlU pass pars under the outstretched Ic legs o of the spider The latter made mado a n swift and sud Lieu den tn plunge Its Us Ion long le legs head hend and body went entirely under the water the legs less were thrown round tho the lash with wonderful wonder wonder- ful rapidity and in a moment the powerful powerful power power- ful fangs pierced Its lOO body The spider spicier at t once brought HH its catch to tho the rock and began began to to cat it N N. N Abraham brnham in Nature |