6 INSECT MISCELLANIES, 



may remarl<, however, that both its sight and hear- 

 ing; seem to be still more acute than its touch, for its 

 eyes are more than usually prominent and closely 

 grouped, and the faintest hum of a gnat puts it on 

 the alert. It requires, indeed, no little agility to 

 seize these, particularly the vibrating gnat (jChirono- 

 mus Tnotitator, Fabr.), which we have observed to 

 be its chief prey, as the slightest movement or the 

 faintest noise puts these gnats to flight ; and hence 

 we infer that the very long legs of this spider are 

 intended more for pursuit than for feeling*. 



Long-legged house spider {Pholcus phalangio'ides). 



It appears to us, that a much stronger proof of the 

 acuteness of touch in spiders may be derived from 

 the manner in which they construct their webs. They 

 must use their eyes indeed, in planning their frame- 

 works ; but they cannot be guided by sight in the 

 details, for the spinneret, whence they draw their 

 threads, being situated behind, they must depend in 

 a great measure on the tact of this organ for the 

 accuracy of their workmanship. The soft yielding 

 consistency, and the papillary form of this wonderful 

 organ, indeed, seems to indicate its being well adapted 

 for an instrument of touch f- But the claws them- 

 * J. R. f See Insect Architecture, page 336 — 8. 



