OUK PUBLIC SCHOOLS COLUMN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2810, 22 January 1908, Page 94

OUK PUBLIC SCHOOLS COLUMN.

FOR SENIORS AND JUNIORS. [Conducted by 'Macisteb, to whom *11 •ommunications must be addressed.] [MxaiSTiß will h« glad to receiy« Natur« notes, marked papers containing educational mtiiles, diagrams, details of experiments, etc , •1 scholastic interest to teachers Jind pupils. Correspondents using a pea aam* must «iso ■•ltd name and address. 2 TRAP-DOOR SPIDERS. About a month ago I promised a note Or two on the trap-door spiders, but am afraid that what I can say upon them will not be very satisfactory, for my information is second-hand. Whther much has been done or not in Tecent years to make clear the life of this spider 1 do not know. If there has. and if any reader has »this knowledge and the time to give it I shall be very glad. As far back as 1875 Mr R. Gillies read a paper before the Otago Institute, and that appears to be the first time a systemati6ed account was given of this little animal. The door is very ingeniously made to imitate conditions surrounding it, the spider even going so far as to plant grass or seed on the lid, so Mr Gillies wrote. The binge is a clever construction extending about one-sixth of the circumference, and it '• continuous and tight, " woven into the bend like th» heel of a stocking. The consequence is, when the trap door, which is stiff, is lifted, the outer edges of- the hinge are opened further than the centre, and are strained tight, and when the door is let go the elasticity of the material of the hinge brings down the door with a spring. The nest ie generally lined with * silk lining she spins. As far as I can understand Mr Spider is ignored as a nonentity though Mr Gillies drawe a picture of . him with hie smaller, narrow oyal abdomen and longer legs. What are hm courtship days, whether he is the blindly venturesome fellow his English relation whether he is made to feel that he exists only as long as his wife allows him to. and is «then to end his days as a good dinner for his wife, whether he is capable of building as good a dwelling as tois wite, and so, Mr Gillies doesn't tell ue. Though living in colonies, they are anything but sociable folk, for very seldom indeed is more than one adult seen ma hole, though a mother may be found with a family of 30 youngsters or more. If placed together, the adults fisrht like and the victor eats his dam opponent. They are mainly nocturnal m their habits, and /an examination oi their kitchen shows that beetles, moths, dragon flies, butterflies, grasshoppers, sniders, caterpillars, and ants give them a fairly varied menu. , . Sometimes there is an enlargment in the nest-tube, and, if so, for a, long time Mr Gillies could not tell why. At last the mystery was solved: "We had it cut across, just at the top of the wide part, and there inside we saw, suspended by silk threads to each side, in the centre of the enlargement a beautiful, dazzling white cocoon, with the golden-yellow eggs shining through the silk covering of tlie cocoon. It was fully distended, and glistening bright white and-yellow in the glare of the sunlight, which shone full upon it." In some case 3Mr Gillies found nests sealed up and spiders «lead or alive withm. He thinks that these deliberately committed suicide by starvation, or were about to do so! Why? . With .a good pocket lens you might count the eyes. There are four, which might be said to occupy the four corners of a parallelogram-; then there are two m the centre of' the parallelogram, and two more near the two posterior eyes, within tne parallelogram, and between, those eyes and the two central ones. How many legs has «. « P .<3o r ? *%£? *°^ T sections in the complete body?. What are they called? Drown a spider in spirit or in a solution of formalin. Notice where little air bubbles form. Would you infer from these bubbles that the spider breathed throusrh its mouth or nostrils (if it has nostrils), or in some other way? T4KE NOTICE OF GRANDMOTHER AND GRANDFATHER. The other 'day a friend said to me, "What has become of the part of your column which contained selected pieces of poetry?" The answer, of course, was that other matters had crushed out selections. But we are commencing a new yea-r, and perhaps a piece or two on prandmothere, mothers, and fathers will be taken kindly by youne folk, and supply

a piece for a school reading or recitation. I am sure that young folk would do many more little thoughtful services for their seniors if they only knew how much they are appreciated. Some sajr that children in Australasia are not so respectful to their seniors as they ought to be. Well, I don't know whether that is so or not, for I am a colonial who has not been Home, so I cannot say; but I do know this: during these Christmas holidays I have seen some beautiful scenes m which young men and women and children showed loving consideration for those more aged. If you read the following I think you will extend the consideration you have alerady been showing. Next week the selections will . refer to Mothers und Fathers—capitals, please, Mr Operator. Ms Ghandmamma. Grandraamnia wears a soft gray gown; It's silky when I smooth it a«wn. I hope I'll wear a soft gray gown "When I an* old like her. Grandmamma's hair is snowy white; It almost sparkles in the light. I hope my hair will be as bright When I am odd like her. Grandmamma's smile is veiy sweet; My papa says it " can't bo beat." I hope my smile will be as sweet When. I am old like her. Grandmamma knows I love her well; I love her more -than I cam tell. I hope little girls -will love Tana well When I am old like her. Eva March Tappan, m Youth's Companion. Beautiful Gbaotmamma. Grandmamma, sits in her. .quaint trmchair;' Never was lady more sweet and fair; H«r grey locks ripj?le Kke silver shells, And her ewn-Twow its *toxy tells Of a gentle life and peaceful -even, A trust in God, and a hope in heaven. Little Maiy sits rocking away ' In. her own low seat, like some winsome fay; Two doll babies her kisses share, And another' one lies by the eide «f lex chair 5 May is as" fair aa the moxning dew. Cheeks of roses and ribbons of "blue. " Say, Grandmamma," s*ys tho pretty elf, "•Tell' me a story *bout yourself. Whan you were little, -what dS you play? Were you good or nuugity th« whoto long day? Was it hundreds »ad buadieda of years ago? And ijfaat makes your soft Tusrir as white as snow? Did you Have a manrm* to Iraq and Has? And a dolly like this, and flifa, and this? Did you lave a pussy like my little Kate? Did you go to bed when the clock struck eight ? Did you have long curls, and beads lik« mine? # v And a txvtt oilk apron with ribbons fine. Grandmamma smiled at til* little maid, And laying aside her knitting she said: " Go to my desk, «nd a red box you'll see; Carefully lift it, and bring it to me." So May put hex Sollies away, and ran, Saying, " I'll be as careful as ever I can." Then Gr«netai«niitt* opened the box, and* lo A beautiful child with » throat lik» snow,' Lips joat -tinted lilce pink shells rare, Eyes of hazel, and golden hair, Hands ail dimpled, and teeth, like pearls— Fairest and sweetest of little girls, i " Ob! who ia ii?" cried winsome May, "How I wish, she were Tiere to-day I • Wouldn't I love her like everything; Wouldi't I with her frolio and iing! Say, dear Grandmamma, who can she be?" " Darling " said Grandmamma, " I wm she." May looked long *t the dimpled grace. And then at the saint-like, fair old face; " How ixurny !" sb* cried, with a smile and at kissv To hive auch a, dear little grandma as this? Still." she added, with smiling Best, "I think, dear Grandma, I like xou best.' So May climbed on the silken knee. And Grandmamma told her history; What plays she played, what toys she had, How at times she was naughty, or good, or cad, " But the beat thing you did," said M»y, " don't you see, Was to grow a beautiful Grandma for me." Old Melodies. Her thin white fingers wandered among the yellow keys, Now ■witK a weary slowness, now *witJa th^ olitime ease; The tunes are quaint and tender, like ancient tales oft told, For they were songs of bygone jreara, and sh« was growing old. The children flocked about her; they loved .to hear her play; / For all was new and sweet to them, >«id every Bong was gayThey were her heart's ccmp»nions, for they - could understand; The Sear old music spoke to them beneath . her trembling hand. ' -^- -But we. no longer children, between her day and theirs, Had danced to other measures, and thrilled to newer airs; We heard with smiles indulgent, but we were slow to praise The simple tunes that brought io her the joy of distant days. They brought the scent of spring-time, the. tap of dancing feet, The dream that blossomed in her heart when youth and love were sweet; Each cadence had its story, each plaintive soft refrain Awok« the chimes of memory, the call of bliss or pain. y So with her thin whit© fingers she touched the yellowing keys, And pleased the- listening children with oldtime melodies; And we, who smiled to hear them, remember ilow with tears The tones tha.t will not sound again through. all the silent years. Youth's Companion. Grandma says we are little witches, Make her drop so many stitches, Laughing till she fairly shakes At our pranks; but she mistakes, For when I brought my little basket (Just myself, she didn't ask it), • To iunt her stitches on the floor (A dozen dropped, she said, or more), There wasn't one that I could • find, ' Poor grandma must be getting blind! — The challenge cup offered by the Sco?tish branch of the -Society of Stenographers has been wpn by Mr A. I'aylor, M.A., Lochgelly, with Pitman's system. The competition was open to all systems. Mr Taylor scored 798 marks out of 800, and in tb.9 speed section of the examination *att*i»ad to 250 words per minute.