Cynthia Still, age 12, of Mt. Airy, N.C. for her question:

How does a spider breathe under water?

Spiders are land dwelling creatures and even the spiders living on, in or near the water must breathe air. Perhaps you have soon a little spider crawling along the floor of a pond or among the water woods. How does she man ge to breathe down there under the water?

The answer to this is that she takes along her own air supply. In fact, she may have invented the oxygen tank before man learned to swim. The amazing little creature traps a pocket of air between her crooked legs and descends with it into the water. Down she goes, end her pocket of sir becomes a bubble. `vre cull it her diving bell. It is her air supply, her oxygen tank for breathing while under water.

Sooner or later the air in the spider's diving bell becomes stale. Then up she comes for a fresh bubble. In between trips she scampers around under water searching for food.