INTO THE ATMOSPHERE. 
387 
A delightful day succeeded. About 9 o'clock a. m. fell 
a shoxver of these wehs, (not single threads, but formed of 
flakes), some nearly an inch broad, and 5 or 6 inches long; 
and such flakes continued to fall during the entire day. 
Baskets-full might be collected from the liedges ; and from 
the velocity of their fall, it was evident that they were con- 
siderably heavier than the medium through which they 
descended. 
The small spider with which these remarks are connected, 
has its eyes disposed in a circle somewhat elongated, 
the body and legs, examined with a lens, are hairy, palpi 
bifid, and protuberant at the end; tarsus forked or clawed; 
legs, &c. somewhat translucent ; abdomen and thorax glos- 
sy, and of a dark ferruginous colour ; anal processes 3 ; 
the femur and tibia have each two articulations. 
Several of these spiders, included in a crow-quill, were 
transmitted to Professor Jameson. Those called " Money 
Spiders '' by the reapers in some parts of England, I pre- 
sume to be the same insect. 
The Reverend Mr Kirby writes me, that he thinks the 
Aranea obstetrix of Starck is that now spoken of: but the 
one described by Starck under this name is striped, and 
the eyes are arranged in the form of a square^ which are 
sufficient distinctions. The subject of this communication 
approximates more nearly to Bechstein's A. obstetrix. 
I shall take leave to call it " Aranea aeronautica,'''' be- 
€ause, under the name Aranea obstetrix the German natu- 
ralists describe two different insects ; and I, moreover, be- 
lieve Starck's A. obstetrix to be (perhaps) the young of the 
Aranea geometrica^ met with in hedges. The chief reason, 
however, for my proposing the assigned name, is the fact I 
have discovered, that its ascent and movement in the atmo- 
sphere are essential to its very existence. 
B b 2 
