66 Dr. Hulfe to Mr. Wray, 



The true Hiftory of the Invention I take to be 

 this. Some time after Mr. Wray's Return from his 

 Foreign Travels, (which was in March 166$ Dr. Hulfe 

 told him of Spiders darting their 'threads*, i. e. tranf- 

 verfly, with Force,parallel to the Horizon. Mr. Wray 

 confults Dr. Lifter about this, he being the beft ac- 

 quainted with this Tribe of Animals of any Man. His 

 Letter to this Purpofe you have Pag. 34. (which un- 

 fortunately is without the Date of the Year, but was, 

 X«guefs, in i<£68) Dr. Lifter in his Anfwer, Pag. 36, 

 ^without any other Date alfo than 10 Kah Dec.) ac- 

 quaint^'Kim, that Spiders not only Jhoot out their 

 Threads^ but fly alfo upon them, and fhews the Man- 

 ner how he came to difcover it. After this, Dr. Hulfe 

 wrote this very Letter to Mr. Wray 5 which being cu- 

 rious, and particularly in relation to Spiders, Mr. Wray 

 fent an Account of it to the Royal Society -> and 

 finding it queftioned which of his two Friends, 

 Dr. Lifter, or Dr. Hulfe, firft made the Difcovery, 

 Mr. Wray writes the Letter of Excufe following of 

 Jul. 17, 16703 and after that, the other of Apr. ifa 

 1671 > which, no Doubt, gives the true State of the 

 Difcovery, viz. That although Mr. Wray had the firft 

 Hint from Dr. Hulfe of Spiders /hooting their threads^ 

 yet the Difcovery of their Flight was firft tcld him 

 by Dr. Lifter. And in all Probability thefe two in- 

 genious Gentlemen, bending at the fame time their 

 Enquiries about the fame Animals, might hit upon 

 the fame Difcoveries. As I well remember, thaE 

 when I my felf was 'firft prying into this Matter, I 

 foon fav^ the Spiders take their Flight, as well as dart 

 their Webs from the Tops of Thiftles, &c. 



W, D, 



Mr, 



