OF SERPENTS. 



vity into the end thereof: 'Tis fald the Decodlion of Hornets 

 dropt on the Skin, makes is fvvelL 



IV, I Proceed to the Spider, another little venemous Infedl, 

 whofe forked Tongue or Sting, is very fine and fliarp ; by this he 

 pierces Flies — and at the fame time, inftils a poifonous Juice into 

 the Wound, by which the Prey being kill'd, it fucks out the 

 Moifture, and leaves nothing but a hufky dry Carcafe : Tradition 

 fays, it poifons by fpitting, or breathing, becaufe it dare not ap- 

 proach fo near to a large Fly as to a little one ; but keeps at fome 

 diftance, and ufes a kind of fhoving Motion, upon w^hich the 

 Fly has done ftruggling. 



There are various forts of thefe little flrange Creatures, 

 whofe Stings are hurtful, as the AJiorius, (fo called from its re- 

 femblance to a Star) whofe Wound produces Heavinefs, and Re- 

 laxation of the Nerves. The Cceruleus, or blue Spider, whole 

 Sting is attended with Vomiting and Pain at the Heart. The 

 Lycos, the leaft of the kind, that caufes an JJihma^ and Swelling 

 about the wounded Part. In the Philofophical 'TranfaEiions, we 

 have a Table of thirty-three kinds of Spiders found in England^ 

 by Dr. Lijier *. 



There is fomething very curious and admirable in thofe long 

 Threads they make in the Air, during fome part of Summer, efpe- 

 cially towards September, (o much wonder'd at, in fuch Quantities 

 every where. The Method of Operation, I take to be as fol- 

 lows, 'viz. 



All Spiders that fpin in a Thread, are the Makers of thofe 

 Threads, moft vifible in the Autumn. In all the ways of weav- 

 ing, they ftill let down the Thread they make ufe of, and draw 

 it after them. Attending on one that wrought a Net, I faw it, 

 fays a very nice Obfciver, fuddenly in the Mid-work defifl, and 

 turning his Tail into the Wind, to dart out a Thread, with the 

 Violence we fee Water fpout out of a Spring : This Thread taken 

 up by the Wind, was in a Moment emitted fome Fathoms long, 

 ftill iffuing out of his Belly ; by and by the Spider leapt into the 



Air, and the Thread mounted her up fwiftly. And I found the 



Air fiU'd with young and old, failing on their Threads, and un- 

 doubtedly, fays the Relator, feizing Gnats and other Infeds in 



their 



* Loiuthorp, vol.ii. p- 795. 



149 



