ir sets her swinging like a
pendulum, sometimes drives her against a neighbouring branch. This is a
step towards the dispersal. At the point reached, there is a fresh fall,
followed by a fresh pendulous swing that lands her a little farther
afield. Thus, in short tacks, for the thread is never very long, does
the Spiderling go about, seeing the country, until she comes to a place
that suits her. Should the wind blow at all hard, the voyage is cut
short: the cable of the pendulum breaks and the beastie is carried for
some distance on its cord.

To sum up, although, on the whole, the tactics of the exodus remain much
the same, the two spinstresses of my region best-versed in the art of
weaving mothers' wallets failed to come up to my expectations. I went to
the trouble of rearing them, with disappointing results. Where shall I
find again the wonderful spectacle which the Cross Spider offered me by
chance? I shall find it--in an even more striking fashion--among humbler
Spiders, whom I had neglected to observe.

CHAPTER VIII: THE CRAB SPIDER

The Spider that showed me the exodus in all its magnificence is known
officially as _Thomisus onustus_, WALCK. Though the name suggest nothing
to the reader's mind, it has the advantage, at any rate, of hurting
neither the throat nor the ear, as is too often the case with scientific
nomenclature, which sounds more like sneezing than articulate speech.
Since it is the rule to dignify plants and animals with a Latin label,
let us at least respect the euphony of the classics and refrain from
harsh splutters which spit out a name instead of pronouncing it.

What will posterity do in face of the rising tide of a barbarous
vocabulary which, under the pretence of progress, stifles real knowledge?
It will relegate the whole business to the quagmire of oblivion. But
what will never disappear is the popular name, which sounds well, is
picturesque and conveys some sort of information. Such is the term Crab
Spider, applied by the ancients to the group to which the Thomisus
belongs, a pretty accurate term, for, in this case, there is an evident
analogy between the Spider and the Crustacean.

Like the Crab, the Thomisus walks sideways; she also has forelegs
stronger than her hind-legs. The only thing wanting to complete the
resemblance is the front pair of stone gauntlets, raised in the attitude
of self-defence.

The Spider with the Crab-like figure does not know how to man