TOL. v.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 535 



tridges, and not through the soHd wood. Of the corruption of the matter 

 within the cases, when the bee-maggots or nyrnphae happen to miscarry, are 

 bred little hexapods, which produce beetles; and maggots, which produce flies; 

 also mites, &c. 



From what has been observed concerning this bee, and by a great many more 

 parallel instances, we may answer the question of some, that have written of 

 bees, whether it be the old bee, or the bee-maggot that covers the cells before 

 the change ? And say that it is the maggot and not the old one. For here the 

 old bee, when she has left provision enough with an egg^ closes up the car- 

 tridge; and has no more to do: The maggot a great while after making the 

 theca, which is analogous to the cover of the cells. 



PL 13, fig. 2, represents the leaf, out of which a long piece, as fig. 3, and 

 a round piece, as fig. 4, were bitten. Fig. 5 shows the cartridge itself; and 

 fig. 6 the theca. 



A Confirmation of ivliat ivas formerly printed in Number 50 of these 

 Tracts, about the Manner of Spiders projecting their Threads, Com- 

 municated by Mr. John Ray. N° Go, p. 2103. 



Concerning the manner of spiders projecting their threads, I received the 

 following account from Dr. Hulse, from whom I must acknowledge I had the 

 first notice of this particular, which was after communicated to me by Mr. 

 Martin Lister, whose letter I formerly sent you to be imparted to the Royal 

 Society. Nor is it any great wonder that inquisitive persons, applying them- 

 selves to observe and consider the same subjects, should make the same dis- 

 coveries. 



I have (says he) seen them shoot their webs three yards long before they be- 

 gin to sail ; and then they will, as it were, fly away incredibly swift. Which 

 phenomenon somewhat puzzles me, as the air seldom moves a quarter so fast 

 as they seem to fly. In general they project their threads single, without divid- 

 ing or forking at all to be seen in them : Sometimes they shoot the thread up- 

 ward, and will mount up with it in a line almost perpendicular; and at other 

 times, they project it parallel to the horizon ; as you may often see by their 

 threads that run from one tree to another, and likewise in chambers from one 

 wall to another. I confess this observation at first made me think that they 

 could fly, because I could not conceive how a thread could be drawn so parallel 

 to the horizon between two walls or trees, as above-mentioned, unless the 

 spider flew through the air in a straight line. The way of forking their tlireads is 

 expressed by fig, 7^ ph 13. 



