46 



in a glass vessel in which was also placed valerian or finely powdered 

 sugar. Bruckman, however, shews that the spider-stone is nothing 

 else but a petrified antediluvian coral, such as has been named the 

 Indian astroites, and that the fabulous account of it has most probably 

 been derived from its spots, which are not unlike those which are 

 discoverable on the belly of the spider, and from its form, which fre- 

 quently agrees with that of the body of a spider. This latter circum- 

 stance he however attributed to the cunning employment of art ; and 

 adds, that these stones generally far exceed in weight and size that of 

 any spider or tarantula that is known, not excepting the celebrated 

 enormous Brasilian spider named nhamdu-guaca* One of these speci- 

 mens, which had been procured from Germany for the late John 

 Strange, Esq. is depicted, Plate V. Fig. 7- It exactly agrees with 

 the description of Bruckman : and upoii examination with a lens ap- 

 pears to be part of a more than ordinarily minute madrepora annularis. 

 It has been evidently fashioned into its present form by the tool of 

 the artist. At d is given a magnified representation of one of the 

 stars of this fossil. 



