How does the water spider breathe? The water spider (right) is a rarity among spiders, for it builds its web under water, attached to pond plants. The web — or ‘bell’ —is made of very finely woven silk strands which are waterproof. Even though it lives under water, the water spider must breathe air, like all spiders. So, once the bell is Complete, the water spider climbs to the surface of...

How do spiders catch their food? All spiders are carnivorous, in other words, they catch and eat other animals. Many spiders build webs in which they trap their food. The web is made from a sticky, silken substance which the spider spins from silk glands within its body. Once the spider has completed the web, it lies patiently in wait for some small creatures such as an insect to become trapped...

What is the difference between insects and spiders? Many people think spiders are insects. Perhaps this is because at first glance spiders do look like some insects, especially when you disturb them and they scuttle away to shelter. If we look more closely, however, we see that there are many differences between them. Spiders belong to a group of animals called the Arachnids, which also includes tiny creatures called mites, scorpions,...

Where is Holy Island? Holy Island, or Lindisfarne, is an island in the North Sea about 3 km (2 miles) from the coast of Northumberland. It was here that St Cuthbert (AD 635—AD 687) came from Ireland to preach Christianity to the Northumbrians. In AD 793, the Norsemen landed, burning the monastery and killing many of the monks, as they did to numerous settlements up and down the coast of Britain....

Which English king is called the Great?   Alfred (AD 849—AD 899) is the only English king to be known as the Great, and he well deserved his title. When he became king of the West Saxons (Wessex) in AD 871, the Norsemen had overrun most of England north of the Thames. By AD 896, after a series of brilliant victories, Alfred had successively resisted their attempts to invade the south,...

Who stole the bronze horses? You have probably seen photographs of the bronze horses in front of St Mark’s Cathedral in Venice. But do you know their story ? It is believed that these Greek bronzes once stood on the Emperor Nero’s triumphal arch in Rome. Then they were taken by the Emperor Theodosius to adorn the city of Constantinople, now Istanbul, in the fifth century after Christ. When Constantinople was...

Where is Jellyfish Creek? In the summer of 196o, Helge Ingstad, a Norwegian writer and explorer, went to look at what was thought to be the remains of early sixteenth century colonial houses at an isolated fishing village called L’Anse aux Meadows, by Epaves Bay on the northernmost tip of Newfoundland. L’Anse aux Meadows is a corruption of the original French name, L’Anse aux Meduse — Jellyfish Creek ! Helge Ingstad...

How important were goddesses in Greek mythology? One of the most remarkable features of Greek religion and mythology is the important part played by the goddesses. In Greece itself, women played no part in public affairs, yet the goddess Athena was the protector of Athens, and there is a myth which tells us that she attained this position by overcoming the god Poseidon. Hera, the wife of Zeus, De-meter the goddess...