262 
NATURAL HISTORY, 
The Spider. The animal that deserves our first notice 
in this principal order of insects is the spider, whose manners 
are the most sublie, and whose instincts ai-e most various. 
Formed for a life of rapacity, and incapable of living upon 
any other than insect food, all its habits are calculated to 
deceive and surprise ; it spreads sails to entangle its prey; 
it is endued with patience to expect its coming; and is 
possessed of arms and strength to destroy it when Fallen into 
the snare. 
In these countries, where all the insect tribes are kept 
under by human assiduity, the spiders are but small and 
harmless. We are acquainted with few but the house-spider , 
which weaves its web in neglected rooms; the garden-spider, 
which spreads its sails from tree to tree, and rests in the centre; 
the wandering-spider, that has no abode like the rest : and 
the field-spider , which is sometimes seen mounting, web and 
all, into the clouds. These are the chief of our native 
spiders; which, though reputed venomous, are entirely in- 
offensive. But they form a much more terrible tribe in 
Africa and America. In fact, the bottom of the Martinico 
spider’s body is as large as a hen’s egg, and covered all over 
with hair. Its web is strong, and its bite dangerous. 
Every spider has two divisions in its body. The fore part, 
containing the head and breast, is separated from the hinder 
part or belly by a very slender thread, through which, how- 
ever, there is a communication from one part to the other. 
The fore part is covered with a hard shell, as well as the legs, 
which adhere to the breast. The hinder part is clothed with 
a supple skin, beset all over with hair. They have several 
eyes all round the head, brilliant and acute ; these are some- 
times eight in number, sometimes but six ; two behind, two 
before, and the rest on each side. Like all other insects, their 
eyes arc immoveable, and they want eye-lids; but this organ 
is fortified with a transparent, horny substance, which at 
once secures and assists their vision. As the animal procures 
its subsistence by the most watchful attention, so large a 
number of eyes is necessary to give it the earliest informa- 
tion of the capture of its prey. They have two pincers on the 
fore part of the head, rough, with strong points, toothed like 
a saw, and terminating in claws like those ofacat. A little 
below the point of the claw there is a small hole, through 
which the animal emits a poison, which, though harmless to 
us, is sufficiently capable of instantly destroying its prey. 
This is the most powerful weapon they have against their 
enemies ; they can open or extend these pincers as occasion 
may require: and when they are undisturbed, they sufFer them 
to lie one upon the other, never opening them but when there 
