Of the spider. 



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Jl he following obrervations were made on thofe kinds of Spiders 

 which are found in gardens ; where they fix their v/ebs to vines, 

 herbs, and rnrubs. 



I have often feen thefe Spiders, when dropping, or falling, as it 

 feemed, from a tree, flop or fupport themfelves in the midway, by 

 means of their thread, and I found that this was done by the help 

 of one of their hind feet, which they continually apply to the thread 

 as they fpin it. Thefe feet are each of them furnilhed with three 

 nails or claws, Handing feparate, or apart from each other. Tv^^o 

 of thefe claws are at the extremity of the foot, and each of them is 

 formed with teeth, or notches, like the cuts in a faw, growing nar- 

 rower towards the bottom ; and with thefe they are enabled to hold 

 fall the thread, in like nianner as the pulley or wheel, uied by clock- 

 makers, in their thirty-hour clocks, is contrived to lay hold of the 

 clock-line, by micans of the groove being narrower at bottom. 

 For the more perfe6lly underfianding this formation, I caufed the 

 following figure to be drawn. 



Plate 11.//^. 17, A B C D E F, reprefents a fmall part of the Spider's 

 hirid foot, magnified, and at BC D, are fliewn the two claws, or nails, 

 v/ith the notches or teeth in them, as before defcribed : at letter E, is 

 feen the third claw, which is defiitute of teeth or notches, but, as I 

 conceive, ferves for various ufes to tlie animal, and this is always to 

 be noted, that wlien tiie Spider docs not want to afcend to an heigln, 

 but only to lay hold of the v.eb it has fpun, it always ufes this claw 

 for that purpofe. 



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