242 ROUND THE YEAR 



about an hour, perhaps twenty Spiders were observed 

 to ascend. 



By noon, the number of Spiders on the ground had 

 sensibly diminished. In the afternoon, the sky being 

 now to some extent overcast, many strips and patches 

 of web were seen to descend. Though very numerous, 

 they were by no means conspicuous, owing to the 

 want of bright sunshine. I remember to have seen 

 many years ago, descending flakes of gossamer 

 glistening in the sunlight ; but this time their appear- 

 ance was not striking Any person who walked along 

 intent upon business would have neither seen nor felt 

 anything of the gossamer. 



Next day something of the same kind was observed ; 

 but the numbers of the Spiders were greatly dim- 

 inished. Several fine days followed, and very likely 

 the Spiders congregated and took flight again. Un- 

 fortunately, I was too much occupied to attend to 

 them ; if much is to be seen, the day must be given 

 up to observing. 



On reading what Gilbert White, Blackwall and 

 other naturalists have observed about gossamer, I find 

 that the Spiders which rise in the air belong to many 

 species and genera. They rise only in still, bright 

 weather, and gossamer in the air is always preceded 

 by gossamer on the ground. September and October 

 are the months in which it is most commonly seen. 

 The Spiders often float to a great height, several 

 hundred feet at least. The flight cannot be directed 

 or regulated by the Spider. Spiders never voluntarily 

 ascend upon webs, but only on fresh-spun lines. It is 

 unusual, perhaps unexampled, for good-sized Spiders 



