55 



" I have, three or four different times, seen spiders being 

 borne down in the air, and falling as it were from great 

 heights, by reason of (as I conceived) an accidental 

 coiling up of their lines into flaky balls, something 

 resembling the condition of those gossamers which are 

 so frequently noticed descending from the air ; when 

 evidently it has been contrary to the intention (shall 

 I say) of the insect, who seemed very busy in the 

 mean time, and standing on the surface has suddenly 

 darted out a new line which has carried him aloft 

 again, while the heavy ball has fallen quite to the 

 ground. 



" On the first ascent of a spider, from the top of 

 wooden palings, fof instance, it seems to be regardless 

 of the direction of the wind, and not to depend upon 

 it for any assistance whatever ; for I have very fre- 

 quently noticed a single thread shot out, right in the 

 teeth of the wind (as a sailor would describe it), nor 

 did it seem to experience any resistance. 



" Sometimes, in a slow and regular descent from the 

 air, they have at first evinced a design to alight near 

 the spot where I have been standing ; but upon a near 

 approach would decline doing so, and rather sailing 

 around me, finally ascend again, and not always in the 

 same direction they came from. 



" It is not at all times a single line which is the me- 

 dium of ascent ; sometimes it is a fasciculus of di- 

 vergent lines, and not unfrequently in the form of two 

 such fasciculi. I think the variation will be found 

 connected with the size of the spider. 



" While in the air, they can communicate a strange 

 spiral motion to their line, which seems to have the 

 effect of altering its course. 



" The most remarkable descent of the gossamer 

 which has happened for many years was on Sunday, 

 D 4- 



