S40 MOTIONS OF INSECTS. 



account of a shower of these webs that he witnessed. 

 On the 21st of September 1741, intent upon field di- 

 versions, he rose before day-break ; but on going out, 

 he found the whole face of the country covered with a 

 thick coat of cobweb drenched with dew, as if two or 

 three setting-nets had been drawn one over the other. 

 When his dogs attempted to hunt, their eyes were so 

 blinded and hood-winked that they were obliged to lie 

 down and scrape themselves. This appearance was 

 followed by a most lovely day. About nine A. M. a 

 shower of these webs (formed not of single floating 

 threads, but of perfect flakes, some near an inch broad, 

 and five or six long,) was observed falling from very 

 elevated regions, which continued without interruption 

 during the whole of the day ; — and they fell with a ve- 

 locity which showed that they were considerably hea- 

 vier than the atmosphere. When the most elevated 

 station in the country where this was observed was 

 ascended, the webs were still to be seen descending 

 from above, and twinkling like stars in the sun, so as 

 to draw the attention of the most incurious. The flakes 

 of the web on this occasion hung so thick upon the 

 hedges and trees, that baskets-full might have been 

 collected. No one doubts, he observes, but that these 

 webs are the production of small spiders, which swarm 

 in the fields in fine weather in autumn, and have a 

 power of shooting out webs from their tails, so as to 

 render themselves buoyant and lighter than the air^. 

 In Germany these flights of gossamer appear so con- 

 stantly in autumn, that they are there metaphorically 

 called " Derjliegender Sommer^^ (the flying or depart- 



» Nat. IliiL i. 325—. 



