3492 Aravhnida. 



exuviation, when it appeared again, perfect as before, with a shell of snowy white, and 

 a little red speckling upon the limbs. Finally, its shell having subsisted 189 days, 

 was succeeded by another of equal beauty and perfection, the speckling on the legs 

 somewhat increased. As all the shells had gradually augmented, so was this larger 

 than the others. The extended limbs would have occupied a circle of four inches in 

 diameter. About a month after this exuviation the animal perished accidentally, hav- 

 ing been two years and eight months under examination. It was an interesting spe- 

 cimen, extremely tame and tranquil, always coming to the side of the vessel as I 

 approached, and holding up its little claws as if supplicating food.' The shrimp when 

 In confinement becomes very tame, and readily exuviates. The process is frequent, 

 the integument separates entire, and is almost colourless. In female crustaceans the 

 roe is placed outside the shell to which it adheres. During the period of such adher- 

 ence, the female crab, so far as observation goes, does not change its shell — a marked 

 provision of Nature to preserve the spawn.'' — Chambers's ' Edinburgh Journal? April 

 17, 1852, p. 248. 



Anecdotes of a Spider. — The following pleasing and minute history of a spider, 

 from the pen of the poet Goldsmith, is quoted in Washington living's interesting 

 ' Life' of that amiable man, from ' The Bee,' a periodical on the plan of ' The Specta- 

 tor,' 'The Tatler,' and ' The Idler,' conducted, and for the most part written by Gold- 

 smith. During this portion of his literary career, when he was literally, to quote his 

 own words, "a bookseller's hack," — writing for bread at so much per sheet, and with 

 characteristic want of prudence spending and giving away his hard -won money much 

 faster than he earned it, — watching the habits of the "long-legged spinners," the 

 fellow-occupants of his chambers in the Temple, evidently furnished the poet with a 

 delightful relaxation from his labours. He writes, — "Of all the solitary insects I have 

 ever remarked, the spider is the most sagacious, and its motions to me, who have at- 

 tentively considered them, seem almost to exceed belief. I perceived, about four years 

 ago, a large spider in one corner of my room making its web ; and, though the maid 

 frequently levelled her broom against the labours of the little animal, I had the good 

 fortune then to prevent its destruction, and I may say it more than paid me by the 

 entertainment it afforded. In three days the web was, with incredible diligence, com- 

 pleted ; nor could I avoid thinking that the insect seemed to exult in its new abode. 

 It frequently traversed it round, examined the strength of every part of it, retired into 

 its hole, and came out very frequently. The first enemy, however, it had to encounter 

 was another and a much larger spider, which, having no web of its own, and having 

 probably exhausted all its stock in former labours of this kind, came to invade the pro- 

 perty of its neighbour. Soon, then, a terrible encounter ensued, in which the invader 

 seemed to have the victory, and the laborious spider was obliged to take refuge in its 

 hole. Upon this I perceived the victor using every art to draw the enemy from its 

 stronghold. He seemed to go oil", but quickly returned, and when he found all arts 

 in vain, began to demolish the new web without mercy. This brought on another 

 battle, and contrary to my expectations, the laborious spider became conqueror, and 

 fairly killed his antagonist. Now, then, in peaceable possession of what was justly 

 its own, it waited three days with the utmost impatience, repairing the breaches of its 

 Web, and taking no sustenance that 1 could perceive. At last, however, a large blue 



