INTRODUCTION. 
of a Siminole when hunting a deer, advancing with 
flow fteps obliquely, or under cover of- denfe foli- 
age, and behind the limbs, and when the bee was 
engaged in probing a flower, he would leap nearer, 
apd then inftantly retire out of fight, under a leaf or 
behind a branch, at the fame time keeping a (harp 
eye upon me. When he had now gotten within two 
feet of his prey, and the bee was intent on lipping 
the delicious neblar from a flower, with his brc’c 
next the fpider, he inflantly (prang upon him, an 1 
grafped him over the back and (boulder, when for 
fome moments they both disappeared. I expected 
the bee had carried off his enemy, but to my fur- 
prife, they both together rebounded back again, 
fufpended at the extremity of a ftrong elaffic thread 
or web, which the fpider had artfully let fall, or 
fixed on the twig, the inftant he leaped from it: the 
rapidity of the bee’s wings, endeavouring to extricate 
himfelf, made them both together appear as amov- 
ing vapour, until the bee became fatigued by whirl- 
ing round, firfc one way and then back again : at 
length, in about a quarter of an hour, the bee quite 
exhaufted by his druggies, and the repeated wounds 
of the butcher, became motionlefs, and quickly ex- 
pired in the arms of the devouring fpider, who, 
afcending the rope with his game, retired to fe aft on 
it under cover of the leaves ; and perhaps before 
night, became himfelf the delicious evening repaid 
of a bird or lizard. 
Birds are in general focial and benevolent crea- 
tures 5 intelligent, ingenious, volatile, active be- 
ings ; and this order of animal creation confifts of 
various nations, bands, or tribes, as may be oh- 
ferved from their different ftrudture, manners, and 
languages, or voice; each nation, though fubdi- 
vided into many different tribes, retaining its ge- 
nera! 
