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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (March 23, 1913)
TheO maha Sunday Bee mm ePag Copyright. 1913, by the Star Company. Great Britain nights Reserved. eit Our. Eacth? GAZIN JO s. A A Remarkable Photograph of the Spider fcggs Up to the bun to Hatch. Man Must Give Way to Some Other Creature, Says H. G. Wells, the English Philosopher, and Maeterlinck, the Belgian, Suggests the Hideous Insects, "Born of a Demented Comet," as Man's Successors THE intelligence of tfio insects be comes a more fascinating and disturbing problem tlio moro It 1b studied. And now comes tho suggestion that tlio Insects, and most probably tlio spldors, are destined to supplant man as the rulers of the earth. Tho suggeation gains support from many scientific arguments. A very remarkable biak, "Tho Llfo of tho Bpldor," by J. H. FaDro, a French naturalist of surpassing genius, haB Just been published by Dodd. Mead & Co. It contains a long preface by Maurice Maeterlinck, tho philosophic writer and biographer of, tho bee, Ho advances, tho Idea strongly that tho spider may bo dos tlncd to bo our successor an earth. From Maeterlinck's argumonts and Fabro'B ob servations it appears that this insect is In many ways much moro fitted to rulo the earth than man. Tho spider Is absolutely ruthless. It posBCBscs a poison with which it can kill or paralyzo any creature at will. It has tireless Industry and knows nolthor lazi ness nor Intemperance. It sustains lifo with great oconomy. It Is novor led astray by Its passions. It is a suporb architect and craftsman. In Its ability to lloat about on a lino of wob It Bhows itself to havo learnt tho secret of tho aeroplano ages ooioro man. , Having olght legn and eight eyes, the spider is physically far superior to man. From tho construction of Its wob there is reason to bellovo that it is a suporb mathematician and goo metrician. It nriPcarB to havo part ly solved tho problem of obtaining energy directly from tho sun, for tho young are kept alive in that way for flvo or six months. Notwith standing tho mental capacity of the spider, it is a ropulslve creature Man has an instinctive antipathy to It To M. Maeterlinck tho mallgnanco of tlio spider suggests that It Is a creature from auothor planet, whore life is wholly alien to ours. The spider's matrimonial relations till him with horror. "Tho marriage customs," he says, "aro dreadful and, contrary to that which hap pens in every otlior world, hero It is tho female of the pair that stands for strength and Intelligence and also for cruolty and tyranny, which appear to bo their Inevit able consequence. Almost evory wedding ends in tho violent and immcdlato death of tho husband. Often, tho brido begins by eating a certain number of suitors. "The archetypo of those fantastic unions could bo supplied by the Languodoclan scorpions, who, as wo know, carry lob-ster-liko claWB and a long tall suppliod with a sting, which is extremely danger ous. They havo a preludo to tho festival la tho shape of a sentimental stroll, claw In claw, then, motionless, with ilugors still gripped, thoy contemplate each other blissfully, lntorminably; day and night pass over tholr ecstasy whllo thoy remain face to face, petrified with admiration. "Next, the foreheads como togethor and touch; tho mouthB it wo can glvo tho name of mouth to tho monstrous oriflco that opens between tho claws aro Jblned In a sort of kiss; ufter which tho union Is accomplished, the malo is transfixed with a mortal sting and the terrlblo spouse crunches and gobblos him up with gusto." Another recent book, 'Tho Study of tho B'uture," by H. O. WoIIb. (Published by B. W. Huebsch, Now York.), lend strength to the theory that the spider may bo man's successor. Mr. Wells argues very forcibly that man cannot be the ultimate form of life on earth. In "The Life of tho Spider," M. Fabre gives us a complete biography of tho black-bellied tarantula, tho most terrlblo of all the Bplders. Here It should bo noted that the author always speaks of tho spider aa "she." She builds a wonderful underground tunnel for a dwelling. At four or five Inches from tho surface It bends at an obtuse angle. It is at the elbow of the tunnel that tho tarantula posts herself as a vigilant sentry, watch ing for victims and enomles. The tarantula Is a clover architect. The entrance of her burrow Is Burmounted,by a shaft constructed throughout by herself. It is a genuine- work of architecture, standing as much as an inch above the ground and two Inches In diameter, so that (t Is wider than the burrow itseli, of Nnrbonnc Holding Her This arrangement lends Itself admirably to tho necessary extension of tho logs at tho moment when tho proy Is to bo seized. Tho shaft is composed of lttlo bits of wood Joined togothod by clay with perfect strength and symmetry. n o Duiiding is uphouterod with a Bllkon tarantula's spinnerets. Tho ability to build theso hnnsin u ri.,,i only in individuals that havo reached a cortaln intellectual development. M. Fabro shows that tho tarantula Is very cleanly and brushes away all tho ro maius of her victims. Sho haB the faculty of seeing by day and night. The tarantulas Varo ferocious nnd cunning lighters, and the vjcior in a ngijt. nauitu&uy C' voura mo orain or nisoncniy. The Stalk-eyed Spider Nothing but a Moved by an Alert, Cruel Intelligence a custom like that of tho human head hunters of Borneo. "Ono day," says tho author, "I picked out two full grown and very powerful males and put thorn togethor In a wide Jar. Aftor walking around tho arena bov- cral times to try and avoid each other, thoy made up tholr minds to light. "I saw them, to my surprise, tako tholr distances and sit up solemnly on their bind logs, bo as mutually to presont tho shlold of tholr chcBts to each other. Aftor watching them face to faco llko that for two minutes, during which thoy had pro voked each othor by glances, I saw them fling thomselvcs upon each othor, twUtlng tholr legs togethor and struggling to blto ono another with their' fangs. "Whether from fatigue or from conven tion, tho combat was suspended. There waB a few seconds truce and each athlete moved away and resumed his threatening posturo. This circumstance reminded mo that in the strango fights bctweon cats, thero aro also suspensions of hostilities. "Dut tho contest was soon renewed be tween my two tarantulas with Increased fierceness. Ono of them, after holding victory in tho balance for a whilo, was at last thrown and received a mortal wound In the head. Ho became tho proy of the conqueror, who tore open his skull and devoured Its brains." Every spidor mixes a poison that Is ex actly suited for tho purposo in view. The tarantula, which does not weave cords to bind Its victims, needs a poison that will kill instantly, or tho victim may es cape or do damago to the homo. - Even tho rnttlosnako's poison docs not kill so quickly. It takes hours to accomplish what tho tarantula does in less than a sec ond. Tho tarantula kills by preference at night or In the darkness, for It can then tako Its victim entirely by surprise. M. Fabro hung a fat and poworful carpenter bee . before tho burrow of a Narbonne tar antula until tho latter rushed out and killed the bee. ''The tarantula's fangs are planted In the nape of tho neck," saya M. Fabro. "The assassin haB the knowledge which I suspected. She has made for the essentially vital centre. She has stung the insect's cervical ganglia with her poison fangs. In short, she has bitten the only point where a lesion produces sudden death." This tarantula's poison only produced paralysis in the leg of a bird, but the paralysis was permanent and ended in death twelve hours later. A mol bitten on the nos died In thlrty-stx hours. "Will v Great Mechanical Body Poised High Above It. Evidently tho poison only produces sud den death whon applied to the most son sitlvo norve centres. M. Fabro vory reasonably concludes that tho tarantula is tho most scientific mur derer of all tho wobloss spider family. Sho places hor fangs upon tho cervical norvo-centreB with an astonishing physio logical knowlodgo and dexterity that no human surgeon can show. Tho Narbonno tarantula, aftor hatching out her young, carrlea thorn on her back for four or Ave months. Thoy number hundreds, in spite of this trouble M. Fabro decided that the spidor had no ma ternal affection for hor young. She waB - Mar No. 219 I KNOW that evory time tho word "exorcUo" is mentioned ono foels a bit weary. Wo are so tired of systems of exorcises, of pursuing tho treadmill of "Right ono, loft ono, up, down, breathe," etc. And I think that ospoclally In Iho case of a woman or frail physique tho matter of exorciso 1b ovordone. But there Is Bomethlng of which no ono over tiros. That is beauty. And for tho culture and preserva tion of beauty there must bo oxer else. What exercise, and how much of It, Is largely an Individual ques tion, as, is food. One woman re quires for tho maintenance of her strength and beauty three full meals a day. Somo neod to oat often and little, and others get on comfortably and thrive on two meals a day, with possibly a glass of milk or an apple or1 orange between those meals. But as everyone noeds somo fruit, some iron-containing foods, us spin ach and string boans and beets, plenty of water and somo bulky cereals, as corn and wheat, so there life in the dim future be like this ? Giant spiders ruling the world, and the pitful remnants of mankind begging for life from their hideous conquerors?" qulto .unconcerned whon somo of them fell off and woro killed. Tho naturalist proved tho astonishing fact that tho Individuals of this family would adopt themselves to tholr environ ment, building houses of a kind tholr the intermediary of , food and passing A Great West Indies Spider Paralyzing a Lizard with Its through tho Igno Poison. The Spider's Extraordinary Knowledge of mlnlous circuit of , Poisons I, One of the Things That Qualifies It f rJ0ct gf as Man s Successor. iar energy pene- KiCLO OTQJJCtLLLLU Essential Exercises. are essential exorcises. Walking is ono of these. Count that day unwisely spent that does not Include a walk, the longer the better. But mark that I said a walk, not a dawdle, nor a saunter. One should walk briskly, to assure deeper breathing than usual. According to your strength and the time at your disposal let your walk be. English women like a ten-mile daily trudge. American women think two or three miles enough. But the English women have the better complexions. On the other hand tho women of Amer ica expend more nervous energy In their conversation, their work and play, iind because of that extra outgo of nerve t wee it may be well to expend less energy In walking. Tho rule of how many miles you should walk a day you mutt make for your self, letting circumstances govern, but having in mind that there should be one walk a day to keep your skin clear, your eyes bright and your spirits norma'iy hljh What Wells Says of Man's Successor THE fact that man is not final is the great unmanageable, dis turbing fact that arises upon us In the scientific discovery of the future, and, to my mind at any rate, the question what is to come after man is the most persistently fascinating and the most insoluble question, in the whole world. . 1 Of course, we have no answer. Such imaginations as we have refuse to rise to the task. What Maeterlinck Says of the Spider THERE is something, on the other hand, about the insect thai docs not seem to belong to the habits, the ethics, the psy chology of our globe. One would be inclined to say that the insect comes from another planet, more monstrous, more energetic, more insane, more atrocious, more infernal than our own. One would think that it was born of some comet that had lost its course ana died demented in space. There is, no doubt, in this astonishment and lack of understand ing (of the spider) a certain instinctive and profound uneasiness inspired by those existences incomparably better armed, better equipped, than by our own, by those creatures made up of a sort of compressed energy and activity in whom we Buspcct our most mys terious adversaries, our ultimate rivals and, perhaps, our successors. conquerors ; raco had never known before. He found, for instance, that thoy constructed houses of pebbles, whon forced to do so, although they had alwayB worked In soft earth. Tho tarantula puts pieces of her prey on tbo roof to bo baked and preserved by the sun. One of tho myste ries of spider life Is that the young of this tarantula and other species, while they are on tho mother's back for months, take no food nnd obtain nothing from the mother's body. M. Fabre ad vances the interest ing theory that they live directly by solar energy, thus sug gesting that tho spiders have solved a problem which Is regarded as the ulti mate goal of human science. "Instead of being served up through Another exercise I consider essen tial to most women and particularly to those of America, who are in clined to a thickening of the middle of the figure, especially at middle life. That Is the twisting of the trunk on the hips. Turning from right to left, and from left to right, keeping the body erect all the while will keep the muscles of the back firm, reduce the flesh In that part of the body and reduce the abdomen. A third essential exercise has no less ordinary name than squatting. Bending the knees and sinking to and rising from a sitting posture several times every day will keep the body supple. Theso, with deep inhalings and ex haling every day, thi sweeping the lungs free from Impure air and Ail ing them with fresh, clean air, should keep ono in good condition, so far aa tho need of exercise goes. Spe cial exercises for special cases are. well known. Theso four should meet the average needs, and are so neces sary that I have named them the es sential exercise 1 1 alU L11U Mill ilia i uu gvuj uuu vum Evi with activity, oven as tho battery charges an accumulator with power?" M. Fabro asks, "Why not live on sun, seeing that after all, we find nought but sun in the fruits which we consurao?" Tho banded epeira is tho handsomest oi the southern French spiders. On her fal belly, a mighty silk warehouse, nearly ai largo as a hazel nut, are alternate yellow, black and silver sashes. . The epeira constructs a magnificent radiating upright web. In tho lower part of tho wob, starting from the centre, a wide opaque ribbon descends zlgzag-wlso across tho radii. This Is tho opelra's trade mark. Tho flourish of an artist initialling his creation. "That tho spidor fools satisfied whon, after passing and repassing from spoke to spoke, sho finishes hor spiral Is beyond a doubt," comments M. Fabre. "The work achieved insures her food for a few days to como." Describing the artistic taste and archi tectural skill of this spider, tho author says: "Tho epeira ends her web with a dead white angular flourish; sho ends her nest with brown mouldings, which run down Irregularly from tho marginal junction to the bulging middle. For this purpose sho makes ubo for tho third time of a different silk; sho then produces Bilk of a dark hue, varying from russet to black. Tho spinnerets distribute tho material with a wide longitudinal swing - from pole to pole, and the hlndlegs apply It in capri cious ribbons." M, Fabro has observed that the epeira is ambidextrous, a valuablo quality in the Btruggle for cxistenco to which man has so far aspired in vain. In whatever di rection shu turns, she uses the nearest of her olght legs with tho same dexterity. The spider uses her wob in somo mys terious wny as a telegraph wire. When a fly or other possible, prey touches the most distant part of the web sho hastens to the spot, but if tho structuro 1b dis turbed by a man Bhe hides herself. There Is reason to believe that tho wob carries to her news of Just what is happening on it. After showing that the spider 1b a skilled aeroplanlst, an architect, a handler of all sorts of tools and Implements of precision, M. Fabro goes on to adduce evidence from the form of tho web that this insect pos sesses a knowledgo of geometry, mathe matics and logarithms. "Taken as a whole," ho says, "tho rope latticed edifice consists of a series of cross-bars, Intersecting tho sevoral radiat ing lines obliquely at angles of equal value. "By this characteristic we recognize tho 'logarithmic spiral.' Geometricians glvo this name to tho curve which intersects obliquely at angles of udvarying value all tho straight lines or 'radii vectores radiating from a centre called tho pole. The epeira's construction, therefore, Is a series of cords Joining the intersections of a logarithmic spiral with a series of radii. It would become merged In this spiral If the number of radii wero Infinite, for this would reduce tho length of tho rectilinear elements indefinitely and change this poly gonal line into a curve." YMme.jQm Cdvalzeri. zSTaejvLoszu-amousJvincfneautir c-i Mme. Una GvHri.
