92 



globular nectary, about the size of a pigeon's 

 egg> of a fleshy colour, and an incision or de- 

 pression on its upper part much resembling the 

 body of the large American spider. This glo- 

 bular nectary is attached to divergent slender 

 petals, not unlike the legs of the same animal. 

 This spider is called by Linnaeus, Aranea avi- 

 cularia, with a convex orbicular thorax, the 

 centre traversely excavated ; he adds, that it 

 catches small birds as well as insects, and has 

 the venomous bite of a serpent. M. Lonvilliers 

 de Poinoy, calls it Phalagoe, and describes the 

 body to be the size 'of a pigeon's egg, with a 

 hollow on its back, like a navel, and mentions 

 its catching the humming-bird in its strong 

 nets. 



The similitude of this flower to this great 

 spider seems to be a vegetable contrivance to 

 prevent the humming-bird from plundering its 

 honey. 



MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF THE PEA. 



The Pea, or papilionaceous tribe of flowers, 

 enclose the parts of fructification within a beau- 

 tiful folding of the internal blossom, sometimes 



