Facts and Thoughts about Spiders, 195 
Lubbocks have been many ; the Moggridges few. 
But even a very slight study of these most versatile 
and accomplished of nature’s children gives rise to 
some interesting reflections. One fact that strikes 
the mind very forcibly is the world-wide distribu- 
tion of groups of species possessing highly developed 
instincts. One is the zebra-striped Salticus, with its 
unique strategy — that is to say, unique amongst 
spiders. It is said that the Australian savage 
approaches a kangaroo in the open by getting up in 
sight of its prey and standing perfectly motionless 
till he is regarded as an inanimate object, and every 
time the animal’s attention wanders advancing a 
step or two until sufficiently near to hurl his spear. 
The Salticus approaches a fly in the same manner, 
till near enough to make its spring. Another is 
the Trapdoor spider. Another the Dolomedes, that 
runs over the surface of the water in pursuit of its 
prey, and dives down to escape from its enemies ; 
and, strangest of all, the Argyroneta, that has its 
luminous dwelling at the bottom of streams ; and 
just as a mason carries bricks and mortar to its 
building, so does this spider carry down bubbles of 
air from the surface to enlarge its mysterious house, 
in which it lays its eggs and rears its young. Com- 
munity of descent must be supposed of species 
having such curious and complex instincts ; but 
how came these feeble creatures, unable to transport 
themselves over seas and continents like the aerial 
gossamer, to be so widely distributed, and inhabiting 
regions with such different conditions ? This can 
only be attributed to the enormous antiquity of the 
species, and of this antiquity the earliness in which 
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