84? Retrdspective Criticisrh', 



for themselves never dying fame in the admiration and gratitude of posterity ; 

 and it is, indeed, equally a sorrow to see the fair field stained and deformed 

 in serving the purposes of private pique, or party disagreement. 



Natural history (too long neglected in this country) has become, or at 

 least is becoming, an important part of education ; and the soft rising 

 beams of its morning are silently and steadily creeping into the nooks and 

 corners^ dispelling the dark mists of bigotry, superstition, and error, and 

 leaving light and loveliness in their room. When this shall have spread 

 broadly over all parts of society, the rotten props of old established follies 

 will have gradually wasted away, and the dens and strong holds of mysti- 

 cism will be cleansed of their masses of Augean filth, which ages have been 

 piling together. 



So much, therefore, of benefit to future society (whether it be regarded 

 publicly or privately) depending on the universal spread of nature's truths, 

 surely it is the duty of all well-wishers of the cause to pull together in 

 peace and harmony. " A house divided," &c. &c. — K. O. Mofitgomcrt/'r- 

 shire, Oct. U.IS30. 



Ascent of the Spider. — The second edition of Aerial Electricity and Re- 

 searches in Natural History, I trust, will be found to contain temperate 

 arguments in favour of my peculiar view of the ascent of the gossamer spider ; 

 and I shall, indeetl, be surprised if Mr. Blackwall's theory, as echoed by Mr. 

 Rennie, be eventually found to sustain the assault successfully. Those who 

 once thought Mr. Blackwall's opinion plausible now say, " A number of 

 facts, more or less bearing on the question, are here collected together ; 

 and if they do not establish the theory, they go a long way towards it." I 

 have made these remarks injustice to Messrs. Blackwall and Rennie, that 

 they may be apprised that their opinions are interrogated and weighed, fear- 

 lessly it may be, but still, I trust, in the spirit of inductive science. It is for 

 the public now to judge between us. As far as it regards myself, the subject 

 has been set at rest ; and I only now advert to it, to state my regret that I 

 "did not sooner receive the Bulletin des Sciences Naturelles, containing an 

 account of M. Virey's paper on the ascent of the spider, read before the 

 Institute of France. This author rejects the electrical hypothesis, as well 

 as that of Mr. Blackwall. " II n'a pas donne," says Virey, " selon nous, une 

 explication satisfaisante du phenomene de I'ascension aeronaut) que de ces 

 filamens." * He then adverts to their ascent in motionless air, in a close 

 room. M. Virey states a phenomenon which has been often recorded, and 

 I have frequently witnessed ; and it seems to me utterly inexplicable on Mr. 

 Blackwall's hypothesis ; their occasional sudden ascent, rapid as a dart : — 

 " Un elan si rapide qu'on n'a pas le tems de bien examiner comment elles 

 disparaissent." f In considering Mr. Blackwall's view, this curious pheno- 

 menon seems to have startled M. Virey. His view of it, however, is alto- 

 gether peculiar ; in fact, he sees in these aeronauts only " tres habiles vol- 

 tigeurs " [" accomplished vaulters "]. He denies altogether the propulsion 

 of the thread, or at least its attachment, as necessary to the ascent ; and 

 considers that they dart into the air as E'laters spring forward, " par sauts 

 brusques " [" sudden leaps "] ; and that, in fact, the insect " nage dans Fair ; 

 que ces petites araignees volent avec leurs pattes." [jl Unfortunately, how- 

 ever, for this odd notion (to which we cannot, at any rate, deny the merit 

 of originality'), the legs of the insect are perfectly still and motionless in its 

 progress through the air. The entire paper, however, is so utterly ridicu- 

 lous and absurd, that it does not deserve a serious refutation. Indeed, M. 



* " It does not, in my opinion, give a satisfactory explanation of the 

 aeronautic ascent of these filaments." 



f " A spring so rapid that there is not time enough to examine how they 

 have disappeared." 



I " Floats in tlie air that these little spiders fly with their legs." 



