PECULIAR MOTIONS OF INSECTS. 397 



Magnified views of the muscular ribbons for moving the wings 

 in Syrphus inanis. a, part of the belly, b, the cosfo-dorsal mus- 

 cles, c, d, the sferno-dorsal. e, part of the head. 



less difficult subject of investigation than flying with- 

 out wings, as is practised by the gossamer-spider 

 {Aranea obtextrix, Bechstein), and its congeners. 

 \Ve do not allude merely to the threads carried out 

 from a spider by a current of air, till it is fixed and 

 forms a bridge, along which the creature can pass ; 

 nor to the similar lines which are left to float freely, 

 in the case of a gossamer, without attachment.* 

 We refer to the power which the spider apparently 

 possesses of directing its flight. Let any one endea- 

 vour to catch one of the spiders which may frequently 

 be seen dropping from the ceiling of a room, the 

 branch of a tree, or other elevated object, and he will 

 find it no easy task to lay hold of the little web spin- 



* See Insect Architecture, pp. 339-54. 



2a 



