280 ANIMAL SKETCHES. CHAP. 



eau de Cologne, hold it again in the same position, and 

 note the effect. 



The first experiments were upon some tame Attidse 

 that had taken up their abode with the observers. They 

 are described as fearless little creatures, always ready to 

 jump upon a finger, to catch the gnats that were offered 

 them, or to drink from a spoon. When a clean rod was 

 held just in front of one of these little fellows, he promptly 

 leaped upon it, and after a moment's pause leaped again 

 to some other object, whence he was returned to the 

 table. But when the rod had been dipped in oil of 

 peppermint, the spider raised his forelegs and the palpi 

 which lie in front of them, and waved them in the air, 

 this being the usual position of threatening or defence. 

 After standing thus for two minutes, he turned away 

 slowly and walked to a little distance. Soon, however, 

 he returned and took up his former position in front of 

 the rod, but did not repeat the movements of the legs and 

 palpi. A second time he walked away and came back ; 

 but this time he came so close as to touch the oil, where- 

 upon he hurried away, evidently in distress, and was 

 found half-an-hour afterwards with his legs drawn in, 

 and looking very miserable. 



Two hundred and twenty experiments were made on 

 spiders belonging to twenty-six species. Three species 

 did not respond to the test. In all the other cases the 

 scent was perceived by the spiders. This they showed in 

 different ways by various movements of the legs, palpi, 

 and abdomen, by shaking their webs, by running away, 

 by seizing the rod and binding it up with web as they 

 would an insect, and in the case of the Attidse, by ap- 

 proaching the rod with the first legs and palpi held erect ; 

 but whether in the way of attacking it, or, as it sometimes 



