SPIDERS AS LARGE AS BIRDS.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1991, 12 July 1880, Page 3

SPIDERS AS LARGE AS BIRDS.

The “ Alta California" is responsible for the following. A short distance from Buena Vista is a cave inhabited by spiders, which differ from other spiders in their enormous size, and are quite useful to the needy people of that region. Tho cave was discovered last December, by a party of sight-seers, and the spiders and their work were witnessed. On entering the cave, one is first struck by the funny looking webs. They are worked like other webs of spiders, but every fibre is ton times as large as the ones woven by ordinary spiders. On passing further into the cave the spiders are encountered. They are about tho size of small birds and make a strong sound while weaving their web. Their webs are so tough and the fibre so large that it is almost an impossibility to break down a web. Some weeks ago, while looking at the cave, a miner got to examining the webs. Their strands were about the size of a No. 12 thread, and he thought they could be used for thread. Having a needlejiu his possession, he broke off one of the strands and found that it fitted the needle. Sewing on a loose button to test the efficacy, he found it as strong as silk thread, and it answered his every purpose. Since then the people have flocked in and carried away hosts of the webs, but tho spiders do not appear to object in the least. There is some talk among capitalists of starting a thread factory there, and using the webs for thread.