480 THE GARDEN SPIDER. 



selves to be gradually roasted without moving a 

 single joint *." 



When this animal changes its skin, which it does 

 at certain seasons, an opening may be seen, if care- 

 fully watched, 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 up- 

 per part of the head, but in various positions. 

 They have no muscles belonging to them, and they 

 are therefore altogether immoveable. They also 

 consist only of one lens each, and do not as in other 

 insects possess the faculty of multiplying objects - y 

 but their number and situation enable the animals 

 to see perfectly well in all necessary directions. 



THE GARDEN ST1DER. 



The labour of the Garden Spider is very differ- 

 ent from that of the former species ; yet it is not per- 

 formed 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 lengthened out, and 

 driven by the wind to some neighbouring tree or 

 other object, are by their natural clamminess fixed 

 to it. When she finds that these are fastened, she 

 makes of them a bridge on which she can pass or 

 repass at pleasure. This done, she renders the 



» s 



m^llie's Philosophy of Natural History. 



