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In a word, the inlcrutable power and vvifdom of the Ahnighty 

 Creator, are manifeftly difplayed in the formation of fuch a thread 

 as the Spider's, the wonderful make of which is feldom obferved, 

 becaul'e the finenefs and delicacy of its texture are not difcernible by 

 the naked eye. 



Upon beholding the exquifite flendernefs, and alfo the multi- 

 tude of thele threads, I was ftruck with aftonifhment, upon confider- 

 ing how wonderful muft be the organs in a Spider's body to produce 

 fo many, and at the fame time all diftindl: from each other. And 

 although I never expedled that I fliould be able to dive into this fe- 

 cret of Nature, yet, upon diilefting the hind part of one of the largefl 

 Spiders I could procure, and attentively examining it, I at lengtli. 

 with the greateft admiration, perceived a great number of excelTively 

 fmall organs, from each of which, one exquifitely fine thread pro- 

 ceeded, and thefe were fo many, that I thought their number muft 

 at leaft exceed four hundred. They were not all placed clofe toge- 

 ther, but in eight diftin6l fpots or compartments, ib that if the 

 Spider ufes all thefe organs at the iame time, eight feveral threads 

 may be formed, each of which will confift of a great number of 

 fmaller ones. Again, thefe fmaller threads differ in fize, for one of 

 the organs will be feen to fpin a tliread twice as large as the next 

 adjoining to it. 



If any perfon examines by the microfcope that part towards the 

 extremity of the Spider's body, from whence its thread proceeds, he 

 will obferve the fpot to be, as it were, furrounded by five feveral pro- 

 tuberances or rifmgs, each ending in a point, and altogether form- 

 ing a kind of enclofure ; but from the anterior or forwarded: of thefe 

 five protuberances no threads proceed. The other four, on their 

 outer fides are tliick fet with hairs, fo that all the fm.aller organs 

 defiined to fpin the threads, are fituated towards the infide, the rea- 

 Ibn of which, I take to be, that they may be preferved uninjured, 



F 



