the Spider fpint its Web, 3 23 



lieight at which the fpider fird throws them out. As {he 

 then fuddcnly finks down in a retrograde diredlion, the firlb 

 ones are extended to a confideral)le length. 



But if the leaft breath of air tlien takes place, they are 

 tlicrcby carried to a confidcrable dillance, and dill become 

 longer^ as the infeft can then fpin them out at pleafure from 

 her receptacles ; fo that thev foon find fome ohjeiSt to whicli, 

 on account of their vifcofitv, they adhere. The fpider then 

 clambers up to them, ftill kecpino; herfclf in conneilion with 

 her firit Itation, as llie always carries witli her the thread by 

 which the firft let herfelf down, and faftens the fecond end of 

 h when the has reached a new point of reii. 



I have too little acquaintance with works on natural hif- 

 tory to be able to determine whether this obfervation has be - 

 fore been made bv others * ; but by fome queilions in the 

 Hanoverian Magazine, and by the private information of 

 dirtiiiguilhed naturalilts, it appears that it is not generally 

 known. But whether it be new, or may only ferve to con- 

 firm what has been already remarked, I am happy that I 

 have it in my power to point out to other fearchers into na- 

 ture how thev may at all times be convinced of the truth of 

 what I have here Itaterl. If a perfon takes a fpider from its 

 web, and places it on the hand, it will endeavour to efcape 

 from this warm objecl as a place of danger, and let itlelf 

 down in the maimer above deferibed ; but if one of the 

 threads that float about in the air be laid hcjld of bv the other 

 hand, the fpider fufiers herfelf to be drawn over by it ; and 

 this experiment ctm be repeated feveral times, till at length, 

 feared by being fo often deceived, fhe throws herfelf loofe, 

 and fuflcrs h.erfelf to fall to the ground. 



To thefe obfervations on the manner in which the fpider 

 bcLrins her v/eb, I fljall add fome others, which indeed com- 

 prehend hut a fmall part of the important difcoveries that 

 Quatremere Disjonval pretends to have made : and refpcAing 

 which, fince the attention of naturalilts is called to this iub- 

 jeel:, I hope to obtain further information. The account 

 that various kinds of fpiders foretell changes of the weather 

 feveral davs before they take place, excited my whole at- 

 tention ; and I was the more defirous of fuidying the arane- 

 oloiiv r)f the above obferver, as I was always of opinion that 

 thoTe infects which have organs peeidiarly adapted for per- 

 ceiving changes in the Itate of the air f would be capable of 



• Swamm';r(J;im, in his Rib. Nal. \>. 24. lias ilcfcriUetl a fimilar ob- 

 fervation ; but liis dtCcripridii appears to me not very clear. 



t See more on ikis fubjef^'t in my Cum/ruiiia/if </.■ S'.ifilnis exum.'s An'i- 

 m,i/ium fx!. p. 3 7 ■ 



X % giving 



