THE SPIDER KIND. 155 



and shelter , m the corners of rooms, round the edges of win- 

 dows, and in the open air among the branches of trees. There 

 the little animal remains for days, nay weeks together, in patient 

 expectation, seldom changing its situation, though never so un- 

 successful. 



For the purposes of making this web, nature has supplied this 

 animal with a large quantity of glutinous matter within its body, 

 and five dugs or teats for spinning it into thread. This sub- 

 stance is contained in a little bag, and at first sight resembles 

 soft glue ; but when examined more accurately, it will be found 

 twisted into many coils of an agate colour, and upon breaking 

 it the contents may be easily drawn out into threads, from the 

 tenacity of the substance, not from those threads being already 

 formed. Those who have seen the machine by which wire is 

 spun, will have an idea of the manner in which this animal forms 

 the threads of its little net, the orifices of the five teats above 

 mentioned, through which the thread is drawn, contracting or 

 dilating at pleasure. The threads which we see, and appear so 

 fine, are notwithstanding composed of five joined together, 

 and these are many times doubled when the web is in formation. 



When a house spider proposes to begin a web, it first makes 

 a choice of some commodious spot, where there is an appearance 

 of plunder and security. The animal then distils one little drop 

 of its glutinous liquor, which is very tenacious, and then creep- 

 ing up the wall, and joining its thread as it proceeds, it darts 

 itself in a very surprising manner, as I have often seen, to the 

 opposite place, where the other end of the web is to be fastened. 

 The first thread thus formed, drawn tight and fixed at each end, 

 the spider then runs upon it backward and forward, still assidu- 

 ously employed in doubling and strengthening it, as upon its 

 force depends the strength and stability of the whole. The 

 scaffolding thus completed, the spider makes a number of threads 

 parallel to the first in the same manner, and then crosses them 

 with others ; the clammy substance of which they are formed 

 serving to bind them, when newly made, to each other. 



The insect, after this operation, doubles and trebles the thread 

 that borders its web, by opening all its teats at once, and secures 

 the edges so as to prevent the wind from blowing the work 

 away. The edges being thus fortified, the retreat is next to be 

 attended to ; and this is formed like a funnel at the bottom of 

 the web, where the little creature lies concealed. To this are 

 two passages or outlets, one above and tho other below, very 

 artfully contrived, to give the animal an opportunity of making 

 excursions at proper seasons, of prying into every corner, and 

 cleansing those parts which are observed to be clogged or en- 

 cumbered. Still attentive to its web, the spider, from time to 



