354 INSECT ARCHITECTURE. 



drop of the matter from one of them on the point of 

 a fine needle, we dh*ected upon it a strong current 

 of air, and succeeded in blowing out a thick yellow hne 

 as we might have done with gum-water, of about an 

 inch and a half long. 



When we observed our long-bodied spider eager 

 to throw a line by raising up its body, we brought 

 within three inches of its spinnerets an excited stick 

 of sealing-wax, of which it took no notice, nor did 

 any thread extend to it, not even when brought almost 

 to touch the spinnerets. We had the same want of 

 success with an excited glass rod; and indeed we had 

 not anticipated any other result, as we have never 

 observed that these either attract or repel the floating 

 threads, as Mr Murray has seen them do; nor have 

 we ever seen the end of a floating thread separated 

 into its component threadlets and diverging like a 

 brush, as he and Mr Bowman describe. 



Nests, Webs, and Nets of Spiders. 



The neatest, though the smallest spider's nest, 

 which we have seen, was constructed in the chink of 

 a garden post, which we had cut out the previous sum- 

 mer in getting at the cells of a carpenter-bee. The 

 architect was one of the larger hunting-spiders erro- 

 neously said by some naturalists to be incapable of spin- 

 ning. The nest in question was about two inches high, 

 composed of a very close satin-like texture. There 

 were two parallel chambers placed perpendicularly, 

 in which position also the inhabitant reposed there 

 during the day, going, as we presume, only abroad 

 to prey during the night. But the most remark- 

 able circumstance was, that the openings (two 

 above and two below) were so elastic, that they shut 

 almost as closely as the boat cocoon of the Tortrix 

 chlorana (see page 322). We observed this spider 

 for several months, but at last it disappeared, and we 



