P R E F A C E. 
V 
wards faw it fly away with the dead Spider Thus far Goedart. The 
above obfervation relates to \d\^Retiary Spider', but Belon, on Aldrovandus, 
relates the fame thing of the Phalangium. “ There is an animal of the 
Wafp tribe, called an Ichneumon, which wages mortal war ’uuth the Pha- 
lano-ium: and fince I have feen the battle, I will relate it. The infc6l is 
amongft the number of bloodlefs animals, and is called Sphex', its form 
is different from that of a Wafp, or Bee, but rather refembles a great 
winged Ant. It is lefs than a Wafp, and makes its neft under ground, like 
the Phalangium. It conquers the Phalangium, whenever it can find it out 
of its hiding-place ; but if it find it in its hiding-place, it often returns 
without its prize. It happened that a Vefpa-ichneumon feized on a 
Phalangium, juft crept out of its hole, and dragged it after it, as an 
Ant does a grain of wheat; and drove it about at pleafure, yet not with- 
considerable difficulty; for the Phalangium catching hold of every 
obje6l which it could with its hooked feet, caufed a good deal ,of hin- 
derance. The Ichneumon, however, pierced him in feveral places with 
his fling, which it puts out like a Bee. At length, wearied with the labour, 
it Pew off, nearly to a hone’s throw. Then again feeking out the Phalan- 
gium, and not finding it juft in the place where it left it, purfued its fteps, 
and feemed to fcent it out, as a dog does the track of a hare. When it 
had found it, it ftruck it more than fifty times with its fting, and again 
dragging it along, carried it to its intended fpot, and there quite killed 
it.” Thus far Belonius, page 27, Lister. ‘‘ It feems probable to 
me that Spiders a poifon with their bite ; fince a Spider, which I pro- 
voked for this purpofe, voided very fmall drops of clear lymph, ten times 
or more in a fhort time ; and ftill repeated it, every time it attempted to 
bite. I made however the experiment, for the fake of fafety, on a piece of 
B 
