584 



triod tho sarao oxporiment upon several otlior spiders of tho same 

 spocies, standing sometimes within five or six feot of the snare, 

 and sometimes at a distance of ton feet, but always with the same 

 effect. Thinking that this offect might bo perhaps due to the 

 strength of tho vibrations of air, caused by the loud tonos of our 

 voices being directed toioards the spider, I then turned round and 

 faced in an exactly opposite direction, shouting out loudly, 

 while my son watched the spider. The effect in this case was 

 almost as great as before. "We then repeated the experiment on 

 various other examples of this spider, each of us alternately 

 watching and shouting, and in overy instance the effect was 

 instantaneous and equally striking. 



TASTE. 

 Spiders have most probably a strong sense of taste, and without 

 a doubt this is seated in the tongue, a membranous organ briefly 

 noticed at p. xii. ( 'Introduction] '. 



DEGLUTITION. 



Although the small size of the cesophagal tube in spiders 

 entirely prevents the passage of anything otherwise than in a 

 fluid state, yet they have sometimes been observed to consumo 

 more or less solid substances. This is probably effocted by the 

 emission of some solvent liquid from the mouth, by means of 

 which, combined with the action of the falces and maxillco, the 

 solids are reduced to a pulpy fluid. Most likely the solvent is 

 secreted in the bulbous-shaped termination of a tubo which 

 leads downwards from the base of the tongue. 



PAIN. 

 With respect to the sense of pain, there soems no reason to 

 believe that spiders are more susceptible than any others of 

 the Articulata, in all of which any sense of *acute pain is probably 

 almost, or altogether, wanting. 



♦Of course, in discussing this question much would turn upon the 

 definition of pain. I would define pain to be unpleasant sensations, caused 

 by an impediment being offered to the exercise of a natural function. Tins 

 would, of oourse, include those sensations experienced whon the functions 

 are disturbed by disease, as well as by any external violenoe; 



