Dr. Lifter to Mr. Ray, 89 



Nature, for I am the gladeft Man that can be to hear 

 of any 5 but I am very cautious not too forward !y 

 to entertain fuch upon Trufty neither would I have 

 any Man take them from me otherwife than as they 

 themfelves {hall find them : And this is a Thing that 

 I neither formerly, nor fince, have been able to ob- 

 ferve $ but if it fhall be found to be done on Pur- 

 pofe by the Animal, to facilitate his Flight, and not 

 accidental, (which I am the more apt to believe, 

 becaufe very rare) I fhall be forward to return 

 Dr. Hulfe my particular Thanks : But, as I writ to 

 Mr. Oldenburgh, he might very well miftakc many 

 Threads Ihot at a time, (as is ufual with many Spiders, 

 more or lefs) for one Thread divided and forked, or 

 as Blancanus in Recti fays, ramofe, woolly, or from 

 which many fmall Filaments proceed ; which Con- 

 ceit of Blaucamsj I am apt to fufpe£t, gave Occa- 

 fion to the Do£tor to be of the fame Belief : But yen 

 for the main, or moftly, as he fays, he could not 

 himfelf find it to be true. I have purpofely omitted 

 to infert any Enquiries concerning this Matter, and 

 the Poifon of Spiders, willingly referving thofe two 

 Particulars for other Papers : Yet I am moil glad to 

 hear what others may more happily and more inge- 

 nioufly obferve and experience. 



In my Letter of Auguft^ which was unhappily loft, 

 (by reafon, perhaps, that I had enclofed in it a Plant 

 palled down) I quoted the exprefs Text of Ariftotle y 

 That the "Thing was not unknow to the Ancients > and 

 "where he fays, That Spiders dart their Threads as 

 Porcupines do their Quills : Which Text, tho' very 

 plain in it felf, yet it will not eafily enter into our 

 Imagination, before we have made the Obfervation 

 by Senfe $ witnefs the Mifinterpretation of Redi and 

 Blancanus : And yet in the Sett of Enquiries I fent 

 to Mr. Oldenburgh^ I have purpofely given, to incite 

 the Curious, another Interpretation of the Text % 



N which 



