( 4.5 ) 



reafon of the equal preniire of the atmofphere on every part of them ; 

 and when of this round figure, being placed in exa6l order, fide by 

 fide, and only touching each other in a point, they mufl neceffarily, 

 to our view, occupy more fpace tliat they did while in the animal's 

 body. 



I at firfl: was not able to conceive by what means the Spider could 

 place its eggs fo exadly in the centre of the web, but now I was 

 fatisfied in that particular, for while I was obferving a third Spider 

 which was fixing a web to the glafs in order to lay her eggs in it, I 

 faw that firfl flie made a kind of thick layer of threads, and fafiened 

 them to the glafs before flie began to lay one egg ; and it was moft 

 worthy of remark that this layer or llratum was not flat, but curi- 

 oufly made with a roundilh cavity. In about tliree quarters of an 

 hour's fpace, upon again obferving the Spider, I faw that this ca- 

 vity was not only filled with eggs, but that eggs v.'ere piled up above 

 the edges of it to the fame heighth as the hollow of the cavity below, 

 and the Spider was then bufied in fpinning a web to enclofe the eggs 

 on every fide. For this purpofe flie employed not only the hind part 

 of her body from whence tlie threads were fpun, but her two hinder 

 feet, with which fhe placed the threads in due order. And now all 

 the organs ufed in producing the threads appeared in view, each of 

 them in the a6l of emitting its particular thread. I alfo obferved the 

 Spider elevate the hind part of its body about the breadth of a ftraw, 

 and then fix the thread which by the elevation had been drawn out to 

 that length, to the web which was already fpun about the eggs. 



I was very defirous to fee a Spider in the a6l of laying its eggs, 

 which at lenfftli 1 obtained a fisfht of, and obferved that tiiev were 

 not emitted from the fame part as is ufual in all other minute ani- 

 mals ; but from the fore part of its belly, not far from the hind legs, 

 and near the place, I obierved a kind of little hooked organ, hand- 

 fomely fnaped, which I had often before fecn in tliis animal, and 



