"It is vacation," from Zigzag Journeys in Europe by Hezekiah Butterworth, 1880.

Here's a precursor to the internet: "The web of uncertain quality," from Canadian Grocer July-Dec. 1896.

"A human tarantula," from Our Sister Republic by Albert S. Evans, 1870.

Here's a precursor to invitation-only blogs.  "He called aloud to me not to disturb his webs," from Gulliver's Travels.

From The Baby's Museum by Uncle Charlie, 1882.

An illustration from Story of the Rear Column of the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition by James S. Jameson (1890).  The caption reads: "Diagram of spiders' webs."

An illustration from Shafts from an Eastern Quiver (1894).  The caption reads: "It again emerged."

You've heard the old saying that one catches more flies with honey, but the truth is that one catches more flies with reconnaissance.  An illustration from an 1856 issue of Punch magazine.

An illustration from an 1891 issue of The Strand magazine.  The caption reads: "Look!  Spiders' webs!"

From Prof. Oddfellow's sketchbook: