1 96 The Nahtralist in La Plata. 



the instinct manifests itself in the young spiders 

 is taken as evidence. 



A more important matter, the intelligence of 

 spiders, has not yet received the attention it deserves. 

 The question of insect intelligence — naturalists are 

 agreed that insects do possess intelhgence— is an 

 extremely difficult one ; probably some of our con- 

 clusions on this matter will have to be reconsidered. 

 For instance, we regard the Order Hymen optera as 

 the most intelligent because most of the social 

 insects are included in it ; but it has not yet been 

 proved, probably never will be proved, that the 

 social instincts resulted from intelligence which has 

 " lapsed." Whether ants and bees were more intel- 

 ligent than other insects during the early stages of 

 their organic societies or not, it will hardly be dis- 

 puted by any naturalist who has observed insects 

 for long that many solitary species display more 

 intelligence in their actions than those that live in 

 communities. 



The nature of the spider's food and the diffi- 

 culties in the way of providing for their wants 

 impose on them a life of solitude : hunger, perpetual 

 watchfulness, and the sense of danger have given 

 them a character of mixed ferocity and timidity. 

 But these very conditions, which have made it 

 impossible for them to form societies like some insects 

 and progress to a state of things resembling civiliza- 

 tion in men, have served to develop the mind that 

 is in a spider, making of him a very clever barbarian. 

 The spider's only weapon of defence — his falces — 

 are as poor a protection against the assaults of his 

 insect foes as are teeth and finger-nails in man 



