352 INSECT ARCHITECTURE. 



In order to ascertain the fact, and put an end to all 

 doubts, we watched with great care and minute- 

 ness, the proceedings of the long-bodied spider above 

 mentioned, by producing a stream of air in the 

 same manner, as it perambulated the brim of the 

 glass. It immediately, as the other had done, at- 

 tached a thread and raised its body perpendicularly, 

 like a tumbler standing on his hands with his head 

 downwards; but we looked in vain for this thread 

 bending, as we had at first supposed, and going off 

 double. Instead of this it remained tiglit, while an- 

 other thread, or what appeared to be so, streamed off 

 from the spinners, sometimes in a line, and sometimes 

 at a considerable angle, with the first, according to 

 the current of the air, — the first thread, extended from 

 the glass to the spinnerets, remaining all the while 

 tight drawn in a right line. It further appeared to 

 us, that the first thread proceeded from the pair of 

 spinnerets nearest the head, while the floating thread 

 came from the outer pair, — though it is possible in 

 such minute objects we may have been deceived. That 

 the first was continuous with the second, without 

 any perceptible joining, we ascertained in numerous 

 instances, by catching the floating line and pulling it 

 tight, in which case the spider glides along without 

 attaching another line to the glass; but if she have to 

 coil up the floating line to tighten it, as usually hap- 

 pens, she gathers it into a packet and glues the two 

 ends tight together. Her body, while the floating 

 line streamed out, remained quite motionless, but we 

 distinctly saw the spinnerets not only projected, as is 

 always done when a spider spins, but moved in the 

 same way as an infant moves its lips when sucking. 

 We cannot doubt, therefore, that this motion is 

 intended to emit (if eject or project be deemed too 

 strong words) the liquid material of the thread; at 

 the same time, we are quite certain that it cannot 



