Spiders. 395 



bridge. When a spider drops along a line, for instance, in 

 order to ascertain the strength of her web, or the nature of 

 the place below her, she invariably, when she reascends, 

 coils it up into a little ball, and throws it away. Her claws 

 are admirably adapted for this purpose, as well as for 

 walking along the lines, as may be readily seen by a magni- 

 fying glass. 



There are three claws, one of which acts as a thumb, the 

 others being toothed like a comb, for gliding along the 

 lines. This structure, however, unfits it to walk, as flies 

 can do, upon any upright polished surface like glass; 

 although the contrary* is erroneously asserted by the Abbe 

 de la Pluche. Before she can do so, she is obliged to con- 



Triple-clawed foot of a Spider, magnified. 



struct a ladder of ropes, as Mr. Blackwell remarks,! by 

 elevating her spinneret as high as she can, and laying down 

 a step upon which she stands to form a second, and so on ; 

 as any one may try by placing a spider at the bottom of a 

 very clean wine-glass. 



The hairs of the legs, however, are always catching bits 

 of web and particles of dust ; but these are not suffered 

 to remain long. Most people may have remarked that the 

 house- fly is ever and anon brushing its feet upon one another 

 to rub off the dust, though we have not seen it remarked in 

 authors that spiders are equally assiduous in keeping them- 

 selves clean. They have, besides, a very efficient instru- 

 ment in their mandibles or jaws, which, like their claws, 

 are furnished with teeth ; and a spider which appears to a 



* Spectacle de la Nature, i. 58. f Linn. Trans, vol. xv. 



