SPIDERS. 249 



He will serve as a good introduction for us to the 

 Spider tribe, and the Diadem Spider 1 may be taken 

 as a type of spiders. 



At one time spiders were included with insects 

 in the same class, and so now many people speak of 

 them as insects, but they are more nearly allied to the 

 Crustacea, or crabs and lobsters, than to butterflies 

 and beetles. They have, as a rule, four pairs of legs, 

 and in this respect the minute Acari or mites agree 

 with them, and are included in the same class. 



Some persons have a great dislike to spiders, and 

 it is said that both Turenne and Gustavus Adolphus, 

 notwithstanding their general courage, would shudder 

 at the sight of these little creatures. They have their 

 place in history from the time of Domitian to that of 

 Robert Bruce. The story of the latter is too well 

 known to need repetition, and a similar anecdote is 

 related of Mahomet, that when himself and a com- 

 panion were fleeing from their enemies, they hid for 

 three days in a cave, over the mouth of which a. 

 spider spread its web, and a pigeon laid two eggs there, 

 the sight of which made their pursuers pass on, and 

 not enter in search of them. 



When Pelisson was confined in the Bastile in com- 

 pany with a Basque, who played on the bagpipe, a 

 spider was accustomed to make its appearance 

 at the window on hearing the music, and on these 

 occasions was fed by the prisoners, so that it 

 became a regular visitor to solace their captivity. 

 The governor of the Bastile, it is added, hearing 



1 Epeira diadem a. 



