"Now, Norah," said Fred, "I daresay you think,as I did till today, that the spider is an insect. But,thanks to teacher, I shall be able to show you that he is not an insect. He is quite distinct from the insects in nearly every way. I wonder what you could tell me about the spider and his habits, from all you have seen of him.""I have often watched the spider, lying in wait to entrap the flies and other insects in his terrible net," said Norah. "I should call him a sly, crafty creature. From the fierce, savage way he attacks them, too, he must be cruel and bloodthirsty.""You have watched him well, Norah. He is a fierce, hungry hunter," said Fred. "He preys upon insects, and is as much a terror to them as certain beasts, birds, reptiles, and fishes are to other animals. Unlike them, however, he weaves a trap or snare in which to capture his prey.
"Now let us look and see what he himself is like. His body is in two parts-not three, like the body of an insect. The upper part consists of the head and chest together; the lower part is the belly. The whole of the body, too, is covered with a close- fitting, soft, smooth coat-not with overlapping segments, like those of the insects.
