544 THE GARDEN-SPIDER. 



ing in the purlieus any traces of her barbarity, capable of intimating 

 the place of her retreat, and inspiring other insects with a dread of 

 approaching it. 



This Spider is furnished with a pair of sharp hooked fang% enclosed, 

 when at rest, in cases in the fore-part of her head. With these wea- 

 pons, (which a good gias w.il discover to have a small slit or orifice 

 in each point,) she seizes and pierces such insects as entangle them- 

 selves in her web; and infuses a poisonous liquid into the wound. 

 This poison must be very deleterious ; for flies, arid many other insects, 

 may be mutilated by depriving them of their legs, wings, and even 

 cutting their bodies through the very middle of the abdomen, and in 

 that condition they will survive several days; but this liquid in a 

 moment kills them. 



When two Spiders of the same size meet in combat, neither of 

 the-m will yield: they hold each other by their fangs so fast, that, in 

 general, one of the two must die before they are separated. 



The Spider, the Ptirius, and many insects of the beetle kind, exhi- 

 bit an instinct of very extraordinary nature. When put in terror by 

 a touch of the finger, the Spider runs oft* with great swiftness; but 

 if he find that, whatever direction he takes, he is opposed by another 

 finger, he then seems to despair of being able to escape, contracts his 

 limbs and body, lies motionless, and counterfeits every symptom of 

 death. " In this situation," says Mr. Smellie, u I have pierced Spiders 

 with pins, and torn them to pieces, without their indicating the slightest 

 marks of pain. Some Beetles, when counterfeiting death, will suft'er 

 themselves to be gradually roasted, without moving a single joint." 



When the House-spider changes its skin, which it does at certain 

 seasons, an opening may be seen in the belly. Through this it draws 

 all its limbs, and leaves the old covering hanging to the cord that 

 sustained it during the operation. 



The eyes of all the Spiders are placed on the upper part of their head, 

 but in various positions. These have no muscles, and are therefore 

 immovable. They also consist of only one lens each, and do not, as 

 in other insects, possess the faculty of multiplying objects ; but their 

 number and situation enable the animals to see perfectly well in all 

 necessary directions. 



THE GARDEX-SriDEB. 



The body of this Spider is brown and somewhat aowny. On the 

 thorax are four furrows, of which the two middle ones diverge 

 towards the head. The abdomen, which is nearly spherical, has, from 

 the middle to the extremity, three white lines. 



The labor of the Garden-spider, is very different from that of the 

 former species ; yet it is not performed with less art. When desirous 

 of flitting from one place to another, this animal fixes one end of a 

 thread to the place where she stands, and then with her hind paws, 

 draws out several other threads from the nipples, which being length- 

 ened, and driven Vy the wind to some neighboring tree, or other 



