—anetee 
196 
The Natural Hiftory of JAM AICA. 
The great yellowifh IWood-Spider. 
This was about an Inch long, the Fore-part of the Body, vz. the 
Head and Thorax were by an I/fhmas divided trom the Abdomen, its 
Breaft was one third of an Inch broad, flat, of a white Satctia Colour, 
or Woolly, with black Spots in that Part of it where broadelt near 
the Abdomen, The Abdomen was two thirds of an Inch long, round- 
ifh, of the Bignefs of a Swan’s Quill, appearing holiow in the Mid- 
dle, of a brownifh yellow Colour, with white Spots oa it; on the 
under Part by the Head were two Claws, Chr/e or Forcipes of three . 
Joints a-picce to hold any thing by, under the Thorax four Legs on each 
fide, the two firftand laft Pairs being two Inches long, the Penultime 
not much more than half fo much, they wer: all three jointed, greenith 
in the firft Joint, on the two others yellow and black, the black Parts 
being very hairy, the under Part of the Abdomen was reddifh brown, 
with two yellow lines tranfverfe near che Middle. 
Itisto be found in the Woods beyond Juitice Freeman's and on the 
Roads in the North Side. 
They have an almot fpiral large Web made of yellow Spiders Thread, 
like Silk, glutinous or vifcid, with which it will top not only fmaff 
Birds, but even wild Pigeons, they are fo ftrong as to givea Man in- 
veigled in them Trouble for fome Vime with their vifcid fticking Quality. 
Aranee pulchre, varijs coloribus diftinéte, Laet. p. 29. who tells us that 
Webs of them catch Birds. Et Aranei grandiores qui telas nent ita pertinaces 
ut vix difrumpi poffiat in Cumana, p. 673. 
Spiders with Body and Legs bigger than a Man’s Hand, extended eve- 
ry Way, the Body as big as a Sparrow, Oviedo Summary, p. 198. 
Spiders of Variety of Colours needing Force to break their Webs, 
Cap. 78. | 
fo the Woods on the Hills in Madagafcar, are. many great Spiders, 
‘which fpin their Webs from Tree to Tree, it being very excellent ftrong 
Silk, of a yellow Colour as if it were dyed by Art. Peter Wittam/ox 
Flores, ap. Purchas, p. 47. 
Spiders whofe -Webs were good and ftrong as Silk in Muadzgafcar, 
Keeling, ap. Purchas. 192. 
Aranee verficolores, make Webs to catch Birds as big or lefs thaa Spar- 
rows, it is hard to break them, Pet. Martyr Decades. 
Beauriful Spiders not poyfonous in Barbados, Ligon 65. 
Certain Spiders of a large Size not dangerous, but making a fort of raw 
Silk, catching Birds bigger than Blackbirds. and like Snipes, in their 
Nets, drefs’d over with Silver, Gold and Pearl, Sith ot Bermadas, 
pr 172. 
XIV. Araneus cancriformis major, reticulum {birale texens, e flevo ds niero 
; ~ 5. = : (3) 
varius, Abaomine [praults objito. Araneus valde elegans. Marcgr. p 248. 
This Spider had a very fma!l Head, two. Forcipes or Claws both of 
a brown Colour ; the two Fore-Legs were long, the four in the Middle 
fhorteft, and the two behind longeft of all; thefe Legs were in all cight, 
and took their Original from the Thorax in the Form of St. Awdren’s 
Crofs, and were of a black and yellow Colour, now of a Circle or Riag of 
one of them and then of another of thofe Colours. The Abdomen was half 
an Inch long and one third of one broad in the Middle where broadett 
it beginning narrow at its Junétion to the Thorax, increafing by Degrees, 
then 
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