334 MOTIONS OF INSECTS. 
equal hold of eight almost equidistant spaces, which, 
doubtless, is a great stay to them. 
The next species of locomotion exhibited by perfect 
insects is flying. I am not certain whether under this 
head I ought to introduce the sailing of spiders in the 
air; but as there is no other under which it can be more 
properly arranged, I shall treat of it here. I shall there- 
fore divide flying insects into those that fly without wings, 
and those that fly with them. 
I dare say you are anxious to be told how any ani- 
mals can fly without wings, and wish me to begin with 
them. As an observer of nature, you have often, with- 
out doubt, been astonished by that sight occasionally no- 
ticed in fine days in the autumn, of webs—commonly 
called gossamer webs—covering the earth and floating 
in the air; and have frequently asked yourself—What 
are these gossamer webs? Your question has from old 
times much excited the attention of learned naturalists. 
It was an old and strange notion that these webs were 
composed of dew burned by the sun. 
Corb ee The fine nets which oft we woven see 
Of scorched dew,” 
says Spenser. Another, fellow to it, and equally absurd, 
was that adopted by a learned man and good natural 
philosopher, and one of the first fellows of the Royal 
Society, Robert Hooke, the author of Micrographia. 
‘«‘ Much resembling a cobweb,” says he, “ or a confused 
lock of these cylinders, is a certain white substance 
which, after a fogg, may be observed to fly up and down 
the air: catching several of these, and examining them 
with my microscope, I found them to be much of the 
