337 



GOSSAMER. 



Notwithstanding the remarkable fineness of this present autumn, 

 gossamer has not been so frequently observed as it is in some 

 seasons. This phenomenon, which affords a fine expressive meta- 

 phor in poetry, and often forms a beautiful veil to the face of 

 nature, was variously accounted for by the early naturalists, the 

 greater number conceiving it to be condensed vapour. Geoffrey, I 

 believe, was the first who discovered that gossamer was the 

 production of an insect called in his time Acarus telarius, and 

 which he describes as spinning a web from the bottom to the top 

 of the trunks of trees, which being afterwards dispersed by the 

 wind, covers the fields, and fills the air with the innumerable threads 

 which glisten in the sun-beams, and, when closely examined, 

 refiect every colour of which the stream of solar light is composed. 



On Monday, the 22d of September last, gossamer was very 

 conspicuous in the neighbourhood of London. A steady observer, 

 looking towards the south-west on the afternoon of that day, 

 might see the threads streaming away from trees and hedges, 

 although the tiny aeronauts themselves, which were every instant 

 launching off on their aerial voyage, were invisible. The insect, 

 however, may be easily captured by extending a piece of fine 

 gauze or muslin across their line of flight and to leeward of a tree 

 or bush whence the shining threads are seen to proceed. When 

 the insect is caught it will be found to be a perfect spider of the 

 smallest size, of a light brown colour and crab-like form. They 

 prepare for flight by gaining some eminence or elevated point 

 whence to take their departure. On this they fix the end of their 

 self-produced cable, and trusting to their natural buoyancy, with 

 legs extended like oars or pinions, commit themselves to the 

 current of air, on which they are quickly borne away to unknown 

 distances, discharging as they fly the requisite length of line, 

 whether for a short or very lengthened flight. How this line, or 

 rather fines, because they eject several strands or threads at the 

 same time to form their cable, is generated, is a curious circum- 

 stance : — are they coiled up in the abdomen and emitted at 

 pleasure — or are they spun from a store of inspissated mucus 

 drawn from the same place ? In either case the power of emission, 

 the material, and organization, are all wonderful ! 



It has been asserted by a naturaUst of no mean acquirements (J. 

 Murray, Esq.) that the gossamer, or other flying spiders, have the 

 power of projecting themselves into the air by the aid of some 

 electric power, and even against the wind. This assertion I 

 pretend not to disprove, having no opposing facts ; more especially 

 as we sometimes see progressive motion produced by the retro- 

 missive ejection of a fluid j instance the motion of snails (perhaps) 

 and the motion given to an ornamental water-jet, fixed on a pivot, 

 having a circular hollow head, the rim of which is perforated 



