394^ ON THE ASCENT OF THE SPIDER 
concerted its progress, and the animal seemed agitated and 
unable to ascend. On removing the point the insect soon 
made its escape. 
When the conducting wire is brought near to the thread 
by which it suspends itself, but, above all, to the flocculi 
or wool-balls, the thread is considerably deflected from the 
perpendicular, and the horizontal fibre is attracted by the 
point. 
When a metallic conductor is brought near to the sus- 
pended spider, it disarranges its projectiles, and the insect, 
conscious of some counteracting agency, promptly coils up 
its threads. 
When a stick of excited sealing-wax is brought near the 
thread of suspension, it is evidently repelled; consequently 
the electricity of the thread is of a negative character. The 
descent of the thread is instantly determined by bringing 
over it the excited sealing-wax; and if strongly excited, 
and the spider let fall on its surface, it bounds from it with 
considerable energy. 
On the 3d of July at 4 p. m., thermometer 66° 
Fahrenheit, two aeronautic spiders, on separate threads, 
were brought near to each other ; a mutual repulsion super- 
vened ; and when one was brought in momentary contact 
with the other, it immediately fell lower in the perpendi- 
cular plane. 
An excited ^Z^x^^-tube brought near, seemed to attract 
the thread, and with it the aeronautic spider. When the 
insect was thus positively electrified, the rapidity which 
marked its descent, and extent of thread spun out, and 
which I frequently coiled up, was truly astonishing, being 
at least SO feet in length. 
In one experiment made, the ascent of the insect was so 
slow and tranquil, from the humidity of the lower atmo- 
sphere and wetness of the terrestrial surface, that I could 
