As applied to certain forms of conservatism the satire is strong.
Something may now be said as to poems about spiders.

But let me remind you that a spider is not an insect.

Scientifically it has no relation to the great family of true insects; it belongs to the very distinct family of the arthropoda or "joint-footed" animals.

But as it is still popularly called an insect in most European countries, we may be excused for including it in the subject of the present lecture.

I suppose you know that one of the scientific names for this whole class of creatures is Arachnida,--a name derived from the Greek name Arachne.