190 THE NATURAL HISTORY 



Every day in fine weather, in autumn chiefly, do I see 

 those spiders shooting out their webs and mounting 

 aloft : they will go off from your finger if you will take 

 them into your hand. Last summer one alighted on my 

 book as I was reading in the parlour ; and, running to 

 the top of the page, and shooting out a web, took its 

 departure from thence. But what I most wondered at, 

 was that it went off with considerable velocity in a place 

 where no air was stirring ; and I am sure that I did not 

 assist it with my breath. So that these little crawlers 

 seem to have, while mounting, some loco-motive power 

 without the use of wings, and to move in the air, faster 

 than the air itself. 



LETTER XXIV 



Selbof.xf., Aug. 15, 1775. 



Dear Sin, 



There is a wonderful spirit of sociality in the brute 

 creation, independent of sexual attachment : the congre- 

 gating of gregarious birds in the winter is a remarkable 

 instance. 



J\Iany horses, though quiet with company, will not stay 

 one minute in a field by themselves : the strongest fences 

 cannot restrain them. My neighbour's horse will not 

 only not stay by himself abroad, but he will not bear to 

 be left alone in a strange stable without discovering the 

 utmost impatience, and endeavouring to break the rack 

 and manger with his fore feet. He has been known to 

 leap out at a stable-window, through which dung was 

 thrown, after company ; and yet in other respects is 

 remarkably quiet. Oxen and cows will not fatten by 

 themselves ; but will neglect the finest pasture that is 



