"On the under part of the body near the end are the openings of four tiny tubes-the spinnerets. Teacher says that the end of each of these tubes is pierced like a pepper-box with about 1000 little holes. It is through these tiny holes that the spider sends out the gummy fluid which is to make his thread. It hardens as soon as it reaches the air.
"Now I am going to tell you the most wonderful thing of all. The spider"s hind feet are made like a pair of combs. These combs gather up and twist into a rope the fine threads from all the four spinnerets-1000 from each, or 4000 in all.
"Think for yourself, Norah, what a fine delicate thing the thread of the spider"s web is. Fancy that fine thread being itself made up of no less than 4000 separate threads twisted together by the spider"s feet. Isn"t it wonderful?
"Next time you see a spider at work weaving his web, watch him. He is very clever.
"He first spins a very long thread, and then leaves it hanging from his body, for the wind to catch it, and carry it across the space, and lodge it on some twig or wall, to which it will cling.
"Then he proceeds to stretch other threads across in a similar way, making them all meet in the centre.