BALLOONING SPIDERS 1 15 



shower of cobwebs falling from very elevated re- 

 gions, and continuing without any interruption 

 until the close of day. These webs are not sin- 

 gle filmy threads floating in the air in all di- 

 rections, but perfect flakes or rags, some near 

 an inch broad and five or six long, which fell 

 with a degree of velocity that showed they 

 were considerably heavier than the atmosphere. 

 On every side, as the observer turned his eyes, 

 he might behold a continual succession of fresh 

 flakes falling into his sight, and twinkling like 

 stars as they turned their sides to the sun." 



This same shower was witnessed by others, and 

 one observer noted a similar one from the summit 

 of a high mountain, the sky above him to the 

 limit of his vision glistening with the silvery flakes. 



White adds, further : " Strange and supersti- 

 tious as were the notions about gossamers former- 

 ly, nobody in these days doubts that they are the 

 real production of small spiders, which swarm in 

 the fields in fine weather in autumn, and have a 

 power of shooting out webs from their tails, so as 

 to render themselves buoyant and lighter than the 

 air." 



I have italicized a phrase which is most sug- 

 gestive, for such is the actual resource of the 

 spider balloonist, a feat which may be witnessed 

 by any one at the expense of a little trouble and 

 patience. 



