634 



Crragurg cif Batumi 



appears in the following June and July. 

 Sometimes, however, it will remain two and 

 even three years in the chrysalis state, and 

 then become winged as perfectly as if it had 

 appeared at the ordinary period. 



SPIDERS. (Aracknula.-) These well- 

 known animals, if not among the most 

 admired, are undoubtedly among the most 

 interesting, of the annulose world, from their 

 habits and mode of life. They dift'er es- 

 sentially in their internal structure, from 

 insects proper ; and their external form is 

 so peculiar that they are easily recognized. 

 The body is composed of two pieces only, the 

 j head being united with the thorax ; and the 

 feet are always eight in number. Their ce- 

 phalothorax appears as if composed of but a 

 ! single segment, and is covered with a sort of 

 j horny buckler, generally oval, to which the 

 abdomen, consisting of a soft and tumid mass, 

 \ is appended. Generally they have eight eyes, 

 I though sometimes only six, variously dis- 

 I posed in the different genera, but always 

 j simple. The mandibles terminate in a very 

 short movable hook, having near its extre- 

 mity a small aperture, which serves as a 

 I passage for the poison. The legs are inserted 

 I almost in a circular manner around the 

 cephalothorax ; they are all nearly of the 

 same form ; and each is composed of seven 

 joints, the last being armed with two hooks. 

 The pulmonary sacs are placed near the base 

 I of the abdomen, and indicated externally by 

 a brownish or whitish spot. They are now 

 divided into groups or families, according to 

 the arrangement of the mandibles and eyes, 

 which corresponds very remarkably with 

 their respective modes of life. 



The Spider being formed for a life of ra- 

 pacity, and incapable of living on any other 

 than insect food, all its habits are calculated 

 to deceive and surprise : it spreads toils to 

 entangle its prey ; it is endued with patience 

 to expect its approach ; and possesses power 

 sufficient to destroy it when captured. For 

 the purpose of constructing its web, Nature 

 has supplied the Spider with a large quan- 

 tity of glutinous matter within its body, and 

 with five papillae, or teats, for spinning it 

 into thread. This substance is contained in 

 a little bag, and at first sight resembles soft 

 glue ; but when more accurately examined, 

 is found twisted into many coils of an agate 

 colour ; and, on breaking it, the contents 

 may easily be extended into threads, from 

 the tenacity of the substance not from 

 those threads being already formed. The 

 machine by which wire is drawn will fur- 

 nish us with some idea of the manner in 

 which this creature forms the threads of its 

 little net ; the orifices of the five teats, through 

 which the thread is drawn, contracting or 

 dilating at pleasure. The threads which we 

 see, and which appear so fine, are, notwith- 

 standing, composed of five joined together ; 

 and these are repeatedly doubled as the work 

 proceeds. When a house or common Spider 

 is about to form a web, it first selects some 

 commodious and secure spot, where insects 

 appear to be in sufficient abundance. It 

 then distils a small drop of its glutinous 

 liquor, which is very tenacious ; and, creep- 



I ing up the wall, and joining its thread a? it 

 ! proceeds, darts itself in a very surprising 

 I manner to the opposite station where the 

 other end of the web is to be fastened. The 

 first thread thus spun, drawn tight, and fixed 

 at each end, the Spider runs on it, to and 

 fro, still assiduously employed in doubling 

 and strengthening it, as on its force depends 

 the strength and stability of the whole. The 

 scaffolding being thus completed, the Spider 

 draws a number of threads parallel to the 

 first, in the same manner, .and then crosses 

 them with others ; the adhesive substance 

 of which they are formed serving to bind 

 \ them together when newly spun. A -ler this 

 ! operation the wary architect doubts and 

 j trebles the thread that borders its web, by 

 j opening all its papilla at once ; and so se- 

 ; cures the edges as to prevent the wind from 

 | displacing the work. The edges being thus 

 fortified, the retreat is next to be attended 

 to ; and this is formed like a funnel, where 

 the little workman lies concealed. To this 

 there are two passages or outlets, one above 

 and the other below, very artfully contrived, 

 to allow the animal an opportunity of making 

 excursions at proper seasons, of examining 

 every corner, and clearing those parts which 

 become foul or encumbered. It often hap- 

 pens also, that from the main web there are 

 several webs extended at some distance on 

 each side : these may be considered as the 

 outworks of the fortification, which, when- 

 ever touched from without, the Spider pre- 

 pares for attack or self-defence. If the in- 

 sect impinging happens to be a fly, it springs 

 forward with great agility ; but if, on the 

 contrary, some enemy stronger than itself, 

 it then keeps within its fortress, and never 

 ventures out till the danger is past. 



The Garden Spider (Epeira) appears to 

 work in a different manner. It spins a large 

 quantity of thread, which, floating in the 

 air in various directions, happens, from its 

 glutinous quality, at last to adhere to some 

 object near it a lofty plant, or the branch 

 of a tree. The Spider is anxious to have 

 one end of the line fixed, hat it may be 

 enabled to secure and tighten the other : it 

 accordingly draws the line when thus fixed ; 

 and then, by passing and repassing on it, 

 strengthens the thread in such a manner as 

 to answer all its intentions. The first cord 

 being thus stretched, the Spider walks along 

 a part of it, and there fastens another ; and 

 dropping from thence, affixes the thread to 

 some solid body below ; then climbs up 

 again, and begins a tliird, which it fastens by 

 a similar contrivance. When three threads 

 are thus fixed, it forms a figure somewhat 

 resembling a square ; and in this the animal 

 is generally found to reside. It often hap- 

 pens, however, when the young Spider begins 

 spinning, that its web becomes too buoyant ; 

 and not only the web floats in the air, but 

 the spinner also. The struggles of an en- 

 tangled insect communicate an undulatory 

 motion to the whole web, which gives notice 

 to the Spider, who immediately sallies forth, 

 and, if his victim be small, seizes it at once, 

 and sucks its blood : if, however, it be too 

 large to be thus disposed of, the Spider rolls 

 it with his hinder feet, encircling it with a 



