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Mr Williamson, who is in charge of maintaining party discipline, told the Telegraph: "I've had Cronus since he was a spiderling, so I have a very paternal sort of approach. It's very much the same sort of love and care that I give to my spider as I give to all MPs."

In an instant, upon reaching the edge of the leaf, the spiderling has thrown up the tip of its body, and a tiny, glistening stream is seen to pour out from its group of spinnerets.

An hour later, if we care to go up-stream half a mile to the bridge, or half a mile below to the crossing pole, for the sake of examining those asters across the brook, we shall find our spiderling nicely settled in a tiny little home of his own.

Their prizes included a fallen mosquito, a bit of shed caterpillar skin, and a newly hatched spiderling, which was enough to keep the colony alive and allow the Queen to regain some of her weight and strength.

Thus, in short tacks, for the thread is never very long, does the Spiderling go about, seeing the country, until she comes to a place that suits her.