( 4i. .) 



prefcntly after wiiicli, I took the Spider cut of the glafs. The 

 P'rog, thus wounded, fat without motion, and in about the fpace of 

 half an hour, it ilretched out its hind legs and expired. 



The next day I brought another Frog, about the fame fize as the 

 former, to the fame Spider, but though it was twice wounded, I did 

 not perceive it to be injured thereby, perhaps becaufe the Spider's 

 bite may not be fo venomous in our climate as in warmer regions, or 

 clfe, that the poifon of this Spider might have been exhaufted by 

 former attacks ; the Frog I threw back into the water whence I had 

 taken it. 



Towards the end of 06iober, I took feveral of the largeft Spiders 

 tliat cou.ld be got, and placed them in glafles apart by themfclves, in 

 order to wait for their laying eggs, which I purpofed to open, and 

 examine the contents. Two of thefe Spiders, after being confined 

 ten or twelve days, I found had laid their eggs, and enveloped them 

 in fo thick a web, that I was aftoniilied to behold it, confidering that 

 it had been fpun in a few hours fpace. 



Some of thefe eggs I opened, and found the infidcs to be of a 

 3-ellowilh colour ; the form of each egg was almoR round, and 

 nearly the thirtieth part of an inch in diameter, and the whole collec- 

 tion of eggs laid by one Spider compofcd a rounding figure, almoft 

 fpherical, nearly half an inch in diameter, from whence may be com- 

 puted how great a number of eggs the Spider lays. And one would 

 almoft think it impoflible for lb many to be contained within this 

 creature's body ; fmce upon viewing them with the naked eye, as 

 they lie together in regular order, they occupy a larger fpace than 

 the fize of the animal itfelf. But it muft be confidered, and it is 

 what I have often experienced in opening Spiders, that the eggs while 

 within their bodies are not of a globular figure, but being very foft 

 they lie comprefled together, and therefore are of divers fliapes, but 

 as foon as emitted from the Spider they alliunc a fpherical form, by 



