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able fine Threads to iflue out ot his Body ^ from whence 
one may conclude, that fo foon as thofe Threads come 
into the /J - they lofe their Vifcofity or Stickynefs. 
When 1 formerly open'd or diffefted a Spider, in order 
to difcover that Vifcocs Stringy Matter, which I took to 
be the beginning of their Web» and not finding it I was 
^amazed, being, iiaabie to conceive how fuch a ftrong 
Thread could in fo fhort a time proceed out ot fuch a 
moift Body^ ftrong enough to bear the weight not of one 
only, but even fix Spiders y and when I endeavoured to 
find out the manner how they make their Webs, one and 
the fame Thread feem'd to me fometimes to confift of a 
fingle Thread, and fometimes of four or five, I would 
fain have feen how the Threads come out of the body 
of the Spidet but I could not attain to that yet. 
Since then I took a Spider and laid her upon her Back, 
that fhe could not ftir, and with a very fine pair of Pin- 
cers puird out farther a Thread, which I could perceive 
kicking put of one of the working Inftruraents, in 
doing which I faw abundance of very fine Threads com- 
ing out of the Body at the fametime.^ which, as foon as 
they were one or two hairs breadth diftant from the 
Body, were prefently joyn'd together, and fo made thick 
Threads. 
Not content with thefe my Obfervations, 1 bethought 
my felf how to faften thefe fine Threads whilft they 
were divided, and juft as they came out of the Body of 
the Spider, that I might make others like wife witnefTes 
of the Infinite number and unconceivable Fineneffes of 
thofe Threads ; which fucceeded with me three feveral 
times, and the oftner the better. 
But it is impoffible for me to defcribe with the Pen, or 
even to grave in Copper the extreme Finenefs of thofe 
Threads, for notwithftanding I ufed my beft Glafles, yet 
even then they appeared fo fmall as almoft to efcape the 
fight. 
I en- 
