THE GOSSAMER SPIDER. 129 



Diminutiveness Showers of cobwebs. 



it enters into or quits at pleasure. The figure of 

 this spider has in it nothing remarkable. The male 

 constructs for himself a bubble near that of the 

 female, and afterward breaks through the thread 

 walls of the female's dwelling ; and the two bub* 

 bles, attached to the bellies of both, unite into 

 one, forming one large chamber. The female 

 takes care of the young, and constructs similar 

 apartments for them. During the winter, both 

 male and female lodge in empty shells, which 

 they dexterously close up with a web. 



The gossamer spider, supposed to be a spe- 

 cies of field spider, is so small and active as to 

 be imperceptible, unless the observer possess a 

 very acute sight. It is about the size of the head 

 of a small pin. Its head is somewhat long, and 

 has in the fore part eight grey eyes, placed in a 

 circular form. The body is of a shining dark 

 brown color, with the abdomen shaped like an 

 egg. The legs are yellowish. These little ani- 

 mals have the power of shooting out webs from, 

 their tails, so as to render themselves buoyant 

 and lighter than air; and being also capable 

 of coiling and thickening these webs when in 

 the air, they have occasioned such showers of 

 cobwebs as, till the cause was discovered, to 

 create many strange suppositions. By one of 

 these showers, which extended some miles, Mr. 

 White was prevented from hunting, Sept. 21, 

 1741, his dogs having been thereby absolutely 

 blinded and hoodwinked. 



VOL. VI, NO. 41. R 



