t of Nazareth?" may now perhaps discern a
spot, small indeed, but brilliant, on the very edge of the dark Carolina
cloud; and it may not be too much to hope that, in course of time, the
cords of our spider's golden and silver silk may prove potent bonds of
union with the first of the rebellious States.

As to the mathematician who believes in the inborn tendency of mankind
to variation and imperfection, and holds up to us, as shining examples
of mathematical accuracy, the work of certain insects, and who--since
Professor Wyman has shown that the hexagonal form of the bee's cell is
not of original design, but rather the necessary result of difficulties
met and overcome in the most economical manner, though by no means
always with perfect exactness and uniformity--has fallen back upon the
ancient and still prevalent belief in the precise construction of the
spider's web, (which, as will be seen, really displays it no more than
does the bee's cell,)--to this disappointed man of geometry and figures
is now offered the alternative of either finding a new and truer
illustration, or of abandoning his position entirely.

Let us, then, wait till we have seen this spider and heard his story.
_His_ story! That reminds me of another class which may possibly be
represented among my readers, and whose members, in the contemplation of
the domestic economy of these insects, will, I fear, discover many and
weighty arguments in favor of the various opinions entertained by the
advocates of Woman's Rights; for here is a community in which the
females not only far exceed the males in number, but present so great a
contrast to them in size and importance, that, but for absolute proof,
they never would be regarded as belonging to the same species.

Here, then, is a life-size picture of our spider and of--I was about to
say, _his_ partner; but in truth it is _she_ who is _the_ spider, and
_he_ is only _her_ partner. Such is the real physical, and, so to speak,
mental superiority of the female, that, even if we insist upon the legal
equality at least of the masculine element, we can do so only in name,
and will find it hard to avoid speaking of him as the male of the
_Nephila plumipes_, thus tacitly admitting her as the truer
representative of the species. Their relative size and appearance are
shown by the figures; but it may be added that she is very handsome; the
fore part of her body, which, being composed of the head and chest
soldered t