( 3S ) 



The kind of Spider I am now delcribiiig, has the hind part ol" its 

 body much larger than is lecn in otlier Spiders ; it is provided with 

 eight longer and two fliorter legs, which fnorter ones are placed in 

 tlie fore part of its body on each fide of the head, and all furnifhed 

 with an indented or notched claw as before defcribcd. Some will 

 have it, that Spiders have no more than eight legs, but this appears 

 to be a miftaken opinion. 



' In thefe Spiders I plainly perceived eight eyes, two of which are 

 placed near to each other at the top of the head, and, in my judg- 

 ment, defigned to fee thofe objefts which are above the animal. 

 Two others of them are fituated a little lower down, in order to dif- 

 cover all objects in front ; and on each fide of tlic head are a pair of 

 eyes clofe to each other, and of thefe, the two wliicii ftand forward, 

 are to take in the view of all objefts lying obliquely, or not ftraight 

 in front ; and the two which fland backward, are undoubtedly de- 

 figned to behold all obje6ls behind the animal. And if we confider 

 that the pupils of thefe eyes are immoveable in the head, we may 

 eafily conclude, that this number is necefiary, for enabling tlie Spi- 

 der to behold all circumjacent obje61s, and to go in fearcii of its food. 



That the form of thefe eight eyes, and their fituation, may be more 

 eafilv conceived, I ha\e caufed a drawins; to be made of them at 

 fg. 18, GHIKLMNO, which l-eprefents a part of the Spider's 

 head ; P 0, are the two eyes which look upwards, K and L, the two 

 defigned to view objefts in front, I and M, thofe which take in cb- 

 je6ls obliquely in front, and H and N thofe which look obliquely 

 backwards. 



I have often heard it faid, that the Spider has a fting, with which, 

 it is alfo reported, it can kill the toad ; but no one could tell me in 

 what part of the body this fting was placed, therefore, I concluded 

 that if there was one, it muft be in the pofterior or hind part, as in 

 other animals and infeils ; but on examination, I found this opi- 

 nion to be groundlefs. The Spider is, however, provided with tv.o 



