William A. Shear is a biologist and Trinkle Distinguished Professor of Biology at Hampden-Sydney College in central Virginia. He has written for American Scientist on millipedes, early terrestrial ecosystems and the evolution of spider webs. He is the author of more than 200 scholarly articles and book chapters and is the editor or co-editor of two books, Spiders: Webs, Behavior and Evolution (1986) and Linnaeus 300: Progress in Invertebrate Taxonomy. His current research concerns the systematic biology and chemical defenses of harvestmen and millipedes. Address: Gilmer Hall 108, Hampden-Sydney College, Hampden-Sydney, VA 23943. Internet: wshear@hsc.edu