Show OF SPI BEllS CURIOUS discoveries MADE IN A FLORIDA THICKET web woran by yellow A aranco A crab trick of baturo protect the once su attempting to dorco roy war through abo thick bay codur of oue of tbt smaller and outer keys of tho florida reef I 1 suddenly broko into an abich had bo of n narrow street or trail tho brash was six or eight feet iu height nud remarkably mar kably gliick aud alie beat was intolerable the branches aud leaves which were interlaced formed a perfect network and kavc shelter to innumerable crabs which had taken possession cf old birds ests while under foot tho eggs and newly batched terns almost covered ho ground in the fixing or street it was found to bo about seven feet across winding away out of sight but my way was blocked by several curious obstacles a of webs stretched vertically across the pathway at intervals of five or six feet they were ol 01 extraordinary strength and were thrown out and poised in a marvelous manner in tho center of each of these silken barriers clung a huge yellow spider so ugly and conspicuous that I 1 stopped bc foro the first doubting douG ting the evidence of my eyes and as I 1 looked tho first yellow spider of tho series disappeared thero was no doubt about it at first so striking and gaudy it slowly faded away and through tho web I 1 could we other yellow spiders beyond suggesting that it was no illusion while I 1 stood wondering in sun the spider solved tho mystery by appearing again first dimly then liko many spiders quivering in the strong light finally resolving itself into one huge yellow fellow that moved liko a pendulum to and fro and then stopped I 1 touched it gently with a switch I 1 held whereupon it deliberately began to swing its huge body imparting to the entire web a vibratory motion which increased in rapidity until the body of the spider began to grow fainter and in a few moments became invisible it was all very simple when understood the spider when alarmed began to swing gradually increasing alie motion until it disappeared or could not be followed by tho eye thinking alio cae might be exceptional I 1 again touched the spider and again it literally swung itself cut of eight crawling beneath the web I 1 confronted abo vest spider which also was yellow or saffron in color with black markings hanging ui the sun liko a great topaz its web dotted with the remains of many feasts amp ty skeletons of insects bits of pearly fish scales perhaps cropped by some passing bird delicate feather and a mot ley array of flies and other insect folk at first the spider paid me scant attention then I 1 saw a slight convulsive movement of it legs as it imparted the first long swing to its web that put this wonderful life saving device for this it was in motion it was the spiders defense aud protection from enemies certain bird undoubtedly preyed upon the spiders mid chis faculty of mysteriously disappearing hadon more than one occasion served it well I 1 could easily imagine the astonishment of the aird when darting down to seize tho plump and showy spider to find that it had clipped away there was much in this street of yellow spiders to distract the mind from alio intense heat that poured down from the almost vertical eun in alie middle of tho beyond a turn grew clump of cactus with hero and there 1 ripe fruit rich in the purple of full maturity a brilliant contrast to alie green leaves As I 1 stood watching the hermit crabs dropping from the bushes and scurrying away over tho sand I 1 thou glit I 1 saw a ripe fruit of the cactus move then to my amazement it passed directly out of sight not after alio fashion of the spiders but by slipping around one of tho big leaves I 1 almost expected to tho others follow it but nothing alio kind occurred I 1 walked along ami placed myself in a position to sw behind the broad flat pear shaped leaf was tho purple object now moving cautiously with the evident of keeping itself out of sight and alinn saw that it ans crab a crab with a purple back ahe exact tint of the fruit while its general shape when the legs were tucked up beneath the body mude tho crab mimic of the cactus fruit a protective so perfect that the crab was bate from sharp eyed enemies oud I 1 should have passed it by had it remained quiet but the non of fruit attracted my attention and led to its discovery for bome distance I 1 followed thia street of spiders creeping beneath the wabe when I 1 could and everywhere these tricks of nature to protect the defenseless fen seless were apparent the eggs of be gulls simulated the sand in color the little mantis which clung to the big cedar was the exact tint of the leaves and defied detection until accidentally brushed off over all life in the secluded nature had thrown her protecting mantle of mimicry new york post |