7? Ohfervations on Spiders, 



tomata, and which muft aftonifli thofe who view them with 

 the eye of a phildfopher. 



A worthy magiftrate, M. Bon, who was fond of natural 

 hiftory, at a time when it was neceflarv to furmount many 

 prejudices, found means to breed fpiders, and to extraft filk 

 from their cods, which he opened. All fpiders are not weav- 

 ers, but they arc fpinncrs, and all live by hunting. This 

 hunting, for the molt part, is only ftatiOnarv, likp that by 

 decoy. Thefe hunters difplay confiderablc cunning and ad- 

 drefs to make their prey fall into the fnares which they have 

 laid. One kind, the aranca domcjVica, extends its net hori- 

 zontally in a corner, hooks itfelf to it, and in that manner 

 lies in wait for its prey ; another, the aranea dumciorum, 

 places its net in a vertical pofition acrofs an alley in a gar- 

 den, to intercept the pafling infers ; one conceals itfelf in 

 its cavern, and darts forth on the fmalleft noife; and another 

 fufpends itfelf from the ^branch of a tree by a long thread, 

 and a6ts the tumbler, to attraol ftupid fpe6lators. There are 

 forae which cover their cave on the outfide with a kind of 

 white filk, as if to announce, by a beautiful entrance, that 

 there will be no danger to proceed farther : this is merely a 

 decoy. Such is their occupation, their refources, and their 

 induftrv. As in every numerous race there are vagabonds, 

 fome fpiders employ themfelves only in running about, and 

 in jumping. Such are the habits of the wolf fpider. There 

 are fome alfo exceedingly cruel, which employ their anns 

 with great force and aftivity. 



The ftru6lure of fpiders is no lefs remarkable than their 

 habits. They have always eight eyes, but differently dif- 

 pofed ; and this has enabled naturalifts to divide them into 

 different claffes, in order that they may be better diftin- 

 guifhed. M. Fabricius, however, has made known five fpe- 

 cies with only fix eyes. This is denied by M. Geoffroy, 

 ■who apparently had not feen thefe fpecies. But the moft 

 interefting organ in thefe infects is their mouth, fince it is 

 with this alone that they are able to hurt us. The mouth 

 of the fpider confifts of two flrong forceps, terminated by a 

 kind of very fliarp claws, the points of which are bent 



doun- 



