~ ( «0 ) 
(which they perceive by the refiftance they find in 
. drawing them in from time to time with their Feet) 
they then make ufe of this kind of Bridge to pafs to 
the place where their Threads are fixt. ’But if thefe 
Threads meet with nothing to fix on, the Spiders con- 
tinue to let them out further, until their great length, 
and the force with which the Wind drives them, fur- 
paffing the weight of their Bodies, they find themfelves 
to be ftrongly drawn ^ and then breaking the firft 
Thread, which they hung by, they let themfelves loole 
to be driven by the Wind, and flutter on their Backs 
in the Air with their Legs ftretch’d out. And by thefe 
two ways it. is, that they pafs over Roads, Streets, and 
the largeft Rivers.- 
One may himfelf wind up thefe Threads, which by 
reafon of their being united together, fcem to be but 
one when they are about a Foot in length $ but I have 
diftinguifh’d them into 1$ or 20 at their iffuing from 
the Anus. What is further remarkable, is the eaflnefs 
with which this Infed moves its Anus every way, by 
means of the many Rings that border upon if. This is 
abfolutely neceflary for ’em, in order to wind up their 
Threads or Silk, which in the Female Spider is of two 
forts- However, I believe this Infed to be Androgy- 
nous, having always found the Signs of a Male in fuch 
Spiders as lay Eggs : But it being of no Service to dif- 
cufs this particular, I (ball return to my Subjeft. 
The firft Thread that they wind is weak, and ferves 
them for no other ufe than to make that fort of Web, 
in which they catch Flies : The fecond is much ftronger 
than the firft 5 in this they wrap up their Eggs, and by 
this means preierve them from the Cold, and fecure 
them from fuch Infeds as would deftroy them. Thefe 
laft Threads are wrapt very loofely about their Eggs, and 
refemble in form the Bags of .Silk-Worms, that have 
ieen prepaid and loofen’d between the Fingers in order 
to 
