EECEEATIYE SCIENCE. 



219 



that ntimber, in contradistinction to the insect 

 races, which possess only six) — how admi- 

 rably, we say, its eight legs are disposed, for 

 the purpose of enabling it to grasp the poor 

 fly in its terrible embrace. These legs, which 

 have seven joints, or articulations, are, as you 

 perceive (Fig. 5, h), placed in an oval upon the 



Fxo. 5. — View of Uiiilcr Surface of Male Spider, ivith 

 the first joints of the legs, a a, mandibles ; h b, legs ; 

 c 0, maxillary palpi; d d, spinnarets, 



under side of what is termed the cephalo- 

 thorax,* and the object of their being of such 

 great length and tenuity is not only that 

 they may grasp the victim more firmly than 

 if they were shorter, but also that, when 

 stretched out (as we see them whilst the 

 creature is at rest watching for prey), they 

 may cause the weight of the body to be 

 distributed over a large surface of the 

 fragile web. 



JSTor are these members of locomotion 

 wanting in features of interest, for they are 

 all furnished at their extreniities with a bean- 



* The " head-chest." The body of the Arach- 

 nidffi is divided into two sections, the cephalothorax 

 (or head and chest fused together) and abdomen. In 

 the insect races these three sections are distinct, and 

 united by slender filaments. 



tiful apparatus resembling a comb, termi- 

 nated by a pointed hook (Fig. 6). These 

 instruments are precisely of the most suit- 

 able construc- 

 tion to enable 

 their possessor to 

 grasp, card, dis- 

 entangle, or wind 

 its threads with 

 the utmost faci- 

 lity, and if you 

 were to examine them with a microscope, 

 and compare them with the mechanical 

 contrivances employed in our factories for a 

 similar purpose, you would be compelled to 



Fig. 6. — Terminal Point of t]ie 

 Spider's Foot, showing the 

 hooked comb. 



Fig. 7. — One of the Combs, highly magnified. 



admit, perfect as you may consider the latter, 

 that they are but awkward imitations of the 

 efficient tools formed by the hand of the 

 great Artificer (Fig. 7). 



And now, if you will for an instant 

 compare Figs. 1 and 5, j^ou will notice on 

 either side of the head, what might be mis- 

 taken for a fifth pair of legs, of shorter 

 dimensions than the rest. These are the 

 maxillary palpi, which probably correspond 

 to the feelers of insects' in their functions 

 (although some naturalists believe the large 

 mandibles already described to be metamor- 

 phosed feelers, or antennae, as they are techni- 

 cally called), and you will perhaps be surprised 

 to notice a difierence in shape between these 

 members in the two illustrations (Figs. 1, 

 c e, and 5, cc). This is owing to the fact that 

 the one represents the female and the other 

 the male. The club-shaped palpi of the male 

 (Figs. 5, c c, and 8) are said to serve a most 

 remarkable end in connection with the gene- 



