MANUFACTURES FROM SPIDERS' SILK. 59 



stockings and gloves, specimens of which were 

 presented by M. Bon to the Royal Academy of 

 Paris, and also to the Royal Society of London. 

 His method of preparing the silk was as fol- 

 lows : 



Twelve or thirteen ounces of the bags were 

 beaten with the hand, or by a stick, until they 

 were entirely free from dust. They were then 

 washed in warm water, which was frequently 

 changed, until it was no longer discoloured by the 

 bags, They were next steeped in a large quantity 

 of water, wherein soap, saltpetre, and gum-arabic 

 had been dissolved. The whole was then set to 

 boil over a gentle fire for three hours. Lastly, 

 the bags were rinsed in clear warm water, and set 

 out to dry. They were then fit for the operation 

 of carding, which was performed with very fine 

 cards, and thus silk of a peculiar ash colour was 

 obtained, which was spun without difficulty. 



The great obstacle which prevented the esta- 

 blishment of any considerable manufacture from 

 these spiders' bags, was the difficulty of obtaining 

 them in sufficient abundance ; but M. Bon, who 



