THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER. 
which can only be decided by the light 
of reason and common sense. 
Thirdly. Because in the penultimate 
paragraph two travellers dispute about 
(or rather give their limited, but so far 
correct, experience of) the ascent of a 
hill by opposite and widely dissimilar 
routes, each arguing from the side with 
which he is acquainted, but ignoring the 
other side, of which he has no knowledge. 
“ I say that the way up is rough,” says 
one ; “ And I smooth,” says the other. 
This is precisely the case I desired to 
impress upon your readers: I wish them 
to well examine for themselves, as I have 
done (there is no need for them to break 
their shins over stones, or to dirt their 
fingers), and if, after seeing both sides, 
they prefer the rough one, I can only 
say that I do not envy them their choice. 
Still I hold that all have a right to an 
opinion, and inconsistent indeed must he 
be who would advocate contrary opinions 
upon the same subject, side by side ; 
true both might be “ right,” but not at 
the same time or place : thus a virtue in 
England may be a vice in China; and 
Galileo’s theory of the earth’s rotation, 
though now considered correct, judged by 
the best “ men of his age,” was certainly 
erroneous. 
“ Then Galileo chanced to dream the earth went 
round the sun, 
But soon his errors did recant, and wept for 
what he ’d done ; 
For men most learned, good and wise proved 
quite beyond a doubt, 
That if the earth went rolling round the seas 
must tumble out.” 
Fourthly. Because there have been 
no arguments at all in favour of the 
orthodoxy of Barter, though opportunities 
of defending itself have over and over 
again been afforded to it, but disputes, 
ill feeling and recrimination without end 
have sprang from this monster evil and 
1 ! 1 
its attendant vices, to which I may here 
add jealousy. 
And fifthly. Becanse your owu ex- 
pressed sentiments agree with what I 
have written. 
I must conclude, in the stereotyped 
way, by remarking that if I shall have 
turned a single “ waverer” from a course 
which must end in disappointment to 
himself individually, and in disgrace to 
entomologists collectively, to a path which 
will afford him endless pleasure, at the 
same time that his Science is ennobled 
thereby, — then truly I shall have accom- 
plished my object. 
Yours in hope, 
H. G. Knaggs, M.D. 
1, Maldon Place, 
Camden Town, N.W. 
RAY SOCIETY’S PUBLICATIONS. 
Extracts from Mr. Blackwall’s Volume 
on British Spiders. 
(Continued from p. 103.) 
“ Spiders employ their falces to seize, 
kill and retain the insects that they prey 
upon, and their maxillae to masticate 
them and to express their fluids, which, 
when mingled with the liquid contents 
of the stomach, previously propelled into 
the mouth through the minute pharyn- 
geal aperture, they swallow. Though 
extremely voracious, they are capable of 
enduring long abstinence from food, a fe- 
male Theridion quadripunctatum having 
been known to exist for eighteen months 
without nutriment in a phial closely 
corked. When affected by thirst they 
will drink water freely. Their fasces con- 
sist of a white liquid containing oval 
black particles of a greater degree of 
consistency. 
“ When spiders are about to deposit 
their eggs they usually spin silken co- 
coons for their reception, which exhibit 
