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be put. iu execution, oftentimes turns to the greatefl: 
advantage, and becomes eafy by Care and Induftry. 
This is the Fate of all new Difcoveries, and I dare 
premife my felf, that I what I now propofe, will be 
favourably received. The Ingenious Fable of * Arachnc 
fhovvs ns, that it is to the Spider we owe the firft Hints 
of weaving Cloath and laying Nets for Animals : So 
the conftant advantage, which I am fatisfy’d may arife 
from this Infeft, will undoubtedly make it hereafter 
efteem’d as highly as Silk-Worms and Bees, which of 
all Infe&s are the mod mceffary, as well as wonderful 
in their Works. 
Tho’ the Hiftory of Spiders be very large, an ac- 
count of the great Number of Species, which are obfer- 
vable in each different kind , I think it notwithftanding 
abfolutely neceffary in a few Words to give a General 
snd Curfory Account of this Infeft, before I enter upon 
the Defcription of its Silk. I (hall therefore reduce all 
the different forts of Spiders to two principal kinds, 
viz. fuch as have long Legs, and fuch as have fhort 
ones : The latter of which furnifhes the Silk I am now 
fpeaking of. In refpeft of their particular differences, 
they are diftinguifh’d by their Colour, fomebeiag Black, 
others Brown, Yellow, Green, White, and others of all 
thefe feveral Colours mixt together. 
They differ likewife in the Number and Pofition of 
their Eyes 5 fome having fix, orhers eight, and others 
ten, differently placed upon the top* of the Head, as 
may eafily be feen by the naked Eye, but much better 
by the help of a Glafs. Thefe are the principal Diffe- 
rences, they being alike in other refpefts as their Body, 
which Nature has divided into two parts : The fore- 
* Plirtij TUfk Natural. lib. 7. Cap. 56. q\is invena it in nitat. 
Infos in lat/ifiii:) Goffer films Arachnes , Li mm & reti/t Arachne inve * 
part 
