338 GOSSAMER. 



obliquely to permit the escape of the water. From each perfora- 

 tion, or orifice, small jets of the fluid are discharged in a tangental 

 direction, and the effect is — by their united impulsive force on the 

 opposing air, to give to the discharging head a constant retrovolvant 

 iTiotion. But in the case of the spider, his forward movement can 

 only depend on the rigidity of the voided thread, and this to all 

 conception is much too lax to afford any resistance or recoil, like 

 that of fire squibs and rockets. 



Be the idea or assertion of Mr. Murray as it may, the threads of 

 gossamer are certainly the sport of winds, as is evident on 

 observing it in the open air streaming from trees or rising obliquely 

 from stubble fields. The vast quantity sometimes visible in the 

 atmosphere shows that the numbersof the insects must be immense; 

 not only is every tree, bush, and hedge their occasional places 

 of abode, but every dry part of the surface of the ground, more 

 especially stubble fields. Many a time when following the plough 

 have I seen the furrow which was turned in going down, laced with 

 gossamer on my return back, that is, within the space of ten 

 minutes. This sudden appearance of it I attributed to the 

 endeavour of the spiders to escape from the disturbance and 

 trampling of the horses on the land, or stubble covered side. 

 When gossamer is plentiful it does not remain in single threads in 

 the air, many of these become entangled together, and may be seen 

 flying in tufts at a great height, or falling to the ground in con- 

 siderable bundles. 



Gossamer is always considered a sign of the continuance of fine 

 weather. This is a very natural though not a very sage remark ; 

 because though it is never visible but in fine bright and dry 

 weather, the first and slightest shower throws the whole of the 

 fabric as well as the fabricators to the earth. 



We cannot account for the object of the flight of this impennous 

 insect. They do not appear to weave webs for entrapping their 

 prey, like most other spiders 3 and whether they capture any food 

 in the air, or soar aloft for sexual intercourse, is, I believe, 

 unknown. 



There are several other spiders which form no regular webs, 

 though all are spinners for some one purpose or other. The 

 ground spider, which carries her bag of eggs attached to her 

 caudal extremity, has no home. Neither does the water spider, 

 which dives in a globule of air formed by itself, inhabit any fixed 

 place. Nor has the Aranea scenica any appropriate domicile; they 

 lurk in any hole in the ground or in the face of a wall, whence they 

 sally forth in the day-time " seeking whom they may devour." In 

 this predatory occupation they exhibit all the cunning of the fox, 

 the vigilance of the lynx, and the impetuous action of the tiger. 

 Lurking in a hollow, or cautiously peeping from behind some 

 little rising of the surface, with their elevated frontlet of four 

 glaring eyes, like the lamps of a travelling chariot, they pounce on 

 the unsuspecting fly or other insect within reach, with unerritig 

 and seizure ; and which quickly dies in their embrace. If the 



