CLASS IIT. ARACHNOIDA. 121 



being struck with somewhat unusual in its gait, he caught it, and 

 placed it within a glass lor examination, when, instead of eight, he 

 perceived it had but three legs, which accounted for tb.c inability of 

 the creature to spin its web ; but the curious circumstance of its 

 having changed its usual economy, and having become a hunting 

 instead of a spinning spider, as well as a wish to learn whether its 

 legs would be renewed, induced him to keep the animal in the glass, 

 from whence it could not escape, and to observe its conduct. 



" On the following morning the animal ate two flies given to it, 

 by sucking out the juices, but left the carcases entire. Two or three 

 days afterwards it devoured the body and head of a fly, leaving only 

 • the wings and legs. After this time it sometimes sucked and some- 

 times ate the fly given to it. At first it consumed two flies in a day, 

 but afterwards not more than one in two days. Its excrement, which 

 it voided, was at first of a milky-white colour, but afterwards the 

 white had a l)lack spot in the centre, of a more solid appearance than 

 the surrounding fluid. 



" Soon after its confinement it attempted to form a web on the 

 side of the vessel, but performed the business very slowly and clum- 

 sily, from the want of the proper number of legs. In about a fort- 

 night it had completed a small web, upon which it generally sat. 



" A month after having been caught, it shed its skin, leaving the 

 slough on the web. After this change five new legs appeared, not 

 half as long as the other three legs, and of very little use to the ani- 

 mal in walking. These new members, however, extended themselves 

 a little in three days, and became half as long as the old ones. The 

 web was now increased, and the animal continued immoveably sit- 

 ting on it in the day time, unless drawn from it, or attracted by a 

 fly thrown to it as its usual provision. 



" Twenty-nine days afterwards it again lost its skin, leaving the 

 slough hanging in the web, opposite to a hollow cell it had woven, 

 so as to prevent it from being completely seen when lodged in it. 

 The legs were now larger than before the change of skin, and they 

 grew somewhat longer still in three or four days, but did not attain 

 the size of the old legs. 



" The animal now increased its web, and being put into a small 

 bowl as a more commodious residence, soon renewed a better web 

 than the first. In this state it was left on the first of November. 

 No further observations have yet been made on the subject." 



" The principal use of the Araneada, in the economy of nature, 

 seems to be that of preventing the too great increase of insects." 



Stirps 1. — Legs simple, hinder eyes not placed on the anterior and su- 

 perioT part of the thorax, nor fomiing an irregular hexagon. The 

 tiw exterior nipples of the anus longer than the others, and project- 



