( 39 ) 



body as this creature's, there could in fo flicrt a time, be produced 

 threads ftrong enough to bear the weight, not only of one, but of 

 lix Spiders at a time. And upon endeavouring to difcover the tex- 

 ture of the threads, I could at that time perceive no more, tlian that 

 tlie fame thread appeared in fome places to be one and entire, and in 

 others, to be compofed of three, four, or more threads ; and though 

 I often endeavoured to obferve thofe threads immediately as they 

 ili'ued from the Spider's body, I could not obtain a perfect view of 

 them, notwithilanding which, I did not doubt, tl^.at vv'hat is commonly 

 fuppoi'ed to be one thread, is, in fa 61, compofed of many. 



I determined therefore, ib to fix a Spider on its back, that it could 

 not move the hind part of its body ; and this leing done, I contrived 

 with a fmall pair of pincers to draw out from th.e body, that fmall 

 part of the thread which proje61:ed from the organ or infirumentfrom 

 which the threads proceed, and then I perceived a great number of 

 exceeding fmall threads iffue forth, which, when at about one or 

 two hairs breadth diflance from the Spider's body, united in one or 

 two threads, and that in this manner the larger threads were com- 

 pofed. 



Not content with thefe obfervations, I fat about devifing means of 

 keeping the threads feparate, as they iffue from the Spider's body, fo 

 that I might be able to give fome reprefentation of their inconceiv- 

 able finenefs, and at three feveral times I uicceeded herein to my 

 wifli. But yet, this finenefs cannot by any efforts of the pen or pen- 

 cil, be adequately defcribed. For upon applying the utmofl: magni- 

 fying powers of the microfcope, threads are difcovered fo exquifitely 

 flender, as almoft entirely to efcape the fight, I have fometimes 

 endeavoured to count thefe threads as they iffued forth, but always 

 without fuccefs. 



The Limner, to whom I exhibited this obje6l by the microfcope, 

 declared, that it was not in his power to give a true drawing of it 



