THE SPIDER. 
562 
the Hon or the tiger. If, however, the affault he com- 
mitted by an enemy ftronger than himfelf, the IpiJer 
keeps clofe concealed in his fortrefs ; and it is not till 
the danger is over, that he ventures forth to repair the 
damages which his property has fuftained. 
By fuch accidents, as well as the force of the wind, 
the labours of many days are often indantly deitroyed ; 
and either the conftrufti'on of a new web, or a repair of 
the old, becomes abfolutely neceuary. Here the fpidec 
has again recourfe to that glutinous fubftance with which 
he was originally provided. The life of this animal 
leems chequered with misfortunes. The time feldom. 
fails to arrive, when the referves of gluten, by repeated 
draining, become entirely exhaufted ; and the poor fpider 
is left to all the chances and vicifiitudes of want, which 
often bring him to an untimely end *. 
The natural longevity, however, of the fpider, is 
greater than feems to have been granted to the generality 
of the infecl tribes. The length of his life is not exact- 
ly afeertained ; but it probably endures for feveral years. 
The female, it is faid, does not begin to lay her eggs till 
fhe has completed her fecond year ; and even then, her 
brood is not fo numerous as when (he lias attained her 
full maturity. When that period arrives, (he has been 
known to produce near a thoufand eggs in a fingle feafon. 
The eggs being thus depofited, the animal prepares a 
filken bag for their reception, till they are hatched. Thus 
packed up, Jlie glues them to her body, by means of the 
fame adhefive matter with which the web is fpun ; and 
la 
* Goldfmith's Nat. Hift. Vol. VII. 
