BALLOONING SPIDERS 115 
shower of cobwebs falling from very elevated re- 
gions, and continuing without any interruption 
until the close of day. These webs are not sin- 
gle filmy threads floating in the air in all di- 
rections, but perfect flakes or rags, some near 
an inch broad and five or six long, which fell 
with a degree of velocity that showed they 
were considerably heavier than the atmosphere. 
On every side, as the observer turned his eyes, 
he might behold a continual succession of fresh 
flakes falling into his sight, and twinkling like 
stars as they turned their sides to the sun." 
This same shower was witnessed by others, and 
one observer noted a similar one from the summit 
of a high mountain, the sky above him to the 
limit of his vision glistening with the silvery flakes. 
White adds, further : " Strange and supersti- 
tious as were the notions about gossamers former- 
ly, nobody in these days doubts that they are the 
real 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." 
I have italicized a phrase which is most sug- 
gestive, for such is the actual resource of the 
spider balloonist, a feat which may be witnessed 
by any one at the expense of a little trouble and 
patience. 
