748 



A HISTORY OF 



Every spider has two divisions in ils body. 

 The lore part, containing; the head and breast, 

 is separated from the hinder part or belly by 

 a very slender thread, through which, how- 

 ever, there i.s a communication from one part 

 to the other. The fore part is covered with a 

 hard shell, as well as the legs, which adhere 

 to the breast. The hinder part is clothed 

 with a supple skin, beset all over with hair. 

 They have several eyes all round the head, 

 brilliant and acute ; these are sometimes eight 

 i>i number, sometimes but six; two behind, 

 two before, and the rest on each side. Like 

 all other insects, their eyes are immovcable, 

 and they want eye-lids ; but this organ is 

 fortified wit!) a transparent horny substance, 

 which at once secures and assists their vision. 

 As the animal procures its subsistence by the 

 most watchful attention, so large a number of 

 eyes was necessary to give it the earliest infor- 

 mation of the capture of its prey They have 

 two pincers ot: 'he fore part of the head, rough, 

 with strong points, toothed like a saw, and 

 terminating in claws like those of a cat. A 

 little below the point of the claw there is a 

 small hole, through which the animal emits a 

 poison, which, though harmless to us, is suffi- 

 ciently capable of instantly destroying its prey. 

 This is the most powerful weapon they, have 

 against their enemies ; they can open or extend 

 tliese pincers as occasion may require ; and 

 when they are undisturbed, they suffer them to 

 lie one upon the other, never opening them but 

 when there is a necessity for their exertion. 

 They have all eight legs, jointed like those of 

 lobsters, and similar also in another respect ; 

 for if a leg be torn away, or a joint cut off, a 

 new one will quickly grow in its place, and 

 the animal will find itself fitted for combat as 

 before. At the end of each leg there are three 

 crooked moveable claws; namely, a small 

 one, placed higher up, like a cock's spur, by 

 the assistance of which it adheres to the threads 

 of its web. There are two others larger, which 

 meet together like a lobster's claw, by which 

 they can catch hold of the smallest depressions, 

 walking up or down the very polished surfaces, 

 on which they can find inequalities that are 

 imperceptible to our grosser sight. But when 

 they walk upon such bodies as are perfectly 

 smooth, as looking-glass or polished marble, 

 they squeeze a little sponge, which grows near 

 the extremity of their claws, and thus diffusing 



a glutinous substance, adhere to the surface 

 until they make a second step. Besides the 

 eight legs just mentioned, these animals have 

 two others, which may more properly be call- 

 ed arms, as they do not serve to assist motion, 

 butare used )lf holding and managing theirprry. 



The spider, though thus formidably equip- 

 ped, would seldom prove successful in the 

 rapture, were it not equally furnished with 

 other instruments to assist its depredations. 

 As it lives wholly upon flies, and is without 

 wings to pursue them, it is obvious they must 

 for ever escape so impotent an adversary ; l>ut 

 the spider is a most experienced hunter, and 

 spreads its nets to catch those animals it is un- 

 able to pursue. The spider's web is general- 

 ly laid in those places where flies are most apt 

 to come and shelter ; in the corners of rooms, 

 round the edges of windows, and in the open 

 air among the branches of trees. There the 

 little animal remains for days, nay, weeks 

 together, in patient expectation, seldom chang- 

 ing its situation though never so unsuccessful. 



For the purposes of making this web, na- 

 ture has supplied this animal with a large 

 quantity of glutinous matter within its body, 

 and five dugs or teats for spinning it into 

 thread. This substance is contained in a little 

 bag, and at first sight it resembles soft glue ; 

 but when examined more accurately, it will 

 be found twisted into many coils of an agate 

 colour, and upon breaking it, the contents ntay 

 be easily drawn out into threads, from the 

 tenacity of the substance, not from those 

 threads being already formed. Those who 

 have seen the machine by which wire is spun, 

 will have an idea of the manner in which this 

 animal forms the threads of its little net, the 

 orifices of the five teats above mentioned, 

 through which the thread is drawn, contract- 

 ing or dilating at pleasure. The threads w hich 

 we see, and appear so fine, are, notwithstand- 

 ing, composed of five joined together, and 

 these arc many times doubled when the web 

 is in formation. 



When a house-spider proposes to begin a 

 web, it first makes choice of some commodi- 

 ous spot, where there is an appearance of 

 plunder and security. The animal then distils 

 one little drop of its glutinous liquor, which is 

 very tenacious, and then creeping up the 

 wall, and joining its thread as it proceeds, it 

 darts itself in a very surprising manner, as I 



