THE GARDEN SPIDER. 483 



to be spun, and much stronger in the thread than 

 that of the silkworm. This was woven in a stock- 

 ing weaver's loom, and there can be no doubt but 

 it would bear any other loom. The thirteen ounces 

 of bags yielded near four ounces of silk, three of 

 which made a pair of stockings large enough for a 

 man. — It would be a difficult task to obtain bags 

 sufficient to render the manufacture of the silk of 

 any importance, since to obtain one pound of silk 

 no fewer than 28,000 bags would be wanted ; and 

 for this quantity a greater number of spiders than 

 this must be bred, as none but the females spin 

 them. But a still greater difficulty arises from their 

 carnivorous disposition in devouring each other. 

 Had this not been the case, a very nutritious food 

 might have been adopted for them in the soft sub- 

 stance of fresh quills. If the silk had answered, we 

 should have had from the different species of spiders 

 several genuine colours in silk ; such as grey, white, 

 sky-blue, and coffee colour ! whereas silkworms 

 yield only white and orange colour. 



The females lay six or seven hundred eggs in the 

 same bag. This is generally done in August or 

 September, and about sixteen days afterward the 

 young are hatched. If the weather continue cold, 

 the young remain in their nidus for several months 

 without eating or increasing in bulk ; but make 

 their appearance abroad on the commencement of 

 the warm weather. The old ones live but a short 

 time after the eggs are laid *. 



* Phil. Tran. vol. xxvii. p. 2. 



I : Z 



