6tcT.XVI.is. OF INSTINCT. -211 



what is mod curious, this houfe has a door with 

 hinges, like the operculum of fome fea-fhel's ; and 

 herfelf and family, \vho tenant this neft, open and 

 (hut the door, whenever they pafs or repafs. This 

 hiftory was told me, and the neit wiih its operculum 

 fhewn me by the late Dr Butt of Bath, who was 

 fome years phyfician in Jamaica. 



The production of thefe nets is indeed a part of 

 the nature or conformation of the animal, and their 

 natural ufe is to fupply the place of wings, when 

 flic vufhes to remove to another fituation. But 

 when flie employs them to entangle her prey, there 

 are marks of evident defign, for me adapts the form 

 of each net to its fituation, and flrengthens thofe 

 lines, that require it, by joining others to the mid- 

 dle of them, and attaching thole others to diflant 

 objects, with the fame individual ait, that is ufed 

 by mankind in fupporting the mads and extending 

 the fails of mips. This work is executed with 

 more mathematical exa&nefs and ingenuity by the 

 field fpiders, than by thofe in our houfes, as their 

 conftrucYions are more fubjected to the injuries of 

 dews and tempefts. 



Befides the ingenuity fhewn by thefe little crea- 

 tures in taking their prey, the circumftance of their 

 counterfeiting death, when they are put into ter- 

 ror, is truly wonderful ; and as foon as the objecl: 

 of terror is removed, they recover and run away. 

 Some beetles are allo faid to poffefs this piece of 

 hypocrify. 



The curious webs, or chords, conftru&ed by fome 

 young caterpillars to defend themfelves from cold, 

 or from infects of prey ; and by illk-worms and 

 fome other caterpillars, when they tranfmigrate into 

 aurelias or larvx, have defervedly excited the ad- 

 miration of the inquifitive. But our ignorance of 

 their manner of life, and even of the number of 

 fheir fenfcs, totally precludes us from underfland- 



ing 



