书城教材教辅科学读本(英文原版)(套装1-6册)
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第317章 第三册(142)

"Lastly, he runs a fine thread round and round, starting from the centre and ending at length on the outside.

"Our garden-spider makes the most beautiful of all webs, and he can finish it in about an hour. Then he retires to his den close by, to watch for the flies that come buzzing about.

"Presently he sees an unwary fly entangled in the elastic thread and struggling to get free. Then with a sudden rush he throws himself on his victim, holds it fast in his cruel claws, which as I told you, are both spears and poison-fangs, and at the same time binds its body with more cords.

"Thus close-bound in every limb, bruised, bitten,and poisoned, the poor fly is dragged away to the den of the victor in triumph.""There is just one other difference between spiders and insects," said Willie, "which we ought not to forget. You know that insects have to pass throughthree distinct stages from the egg to the perfect form-the larva, the pupa, and the perfect insect.

"The little spider begins the world from the eggat once in its perfect form, and as it grows bigger and bigger it casts its skin from time to time."SUMMARY