ARA 
last century a project was entertained by 
a French gentleman, Monsieur Bon of 
Montpelier, of instituting a manufacture of 
spiders’ silk, and the Royal Academy, to 
which the scheme was proposed, appointed 
the ingenious Reaumur to repeat the expe- 
riments of Monsieur Bon, in order to as- 
certain how far the proposed plan might 
be carried ; but, after making the proper 
trials, Mr, Reaumur found it to be imprac- 
ticable, on account of the natural disposi- 
tion of these animals, which is such as will 
by no means admit of their living peaceably 
together in large numbers. Mr. Reaumur 
also computed that 663522 spiders would 
scarcely furnish a single pound of silk. Mon- 
sieur Bon, however, the first projector, car- 
ried his experiments so far as to obtain two 
or three pair of stockings and gloves of this 
silk ; which were of an elegant grey colour, 
and were presented, as samples, to the 
Royal Academy. It must be observed that 
in this manufacture it is the silk of the egg- 
bags alone that can be used, being far 
stronger than that of the webs. Monsieur 
Bon collected twelve'or thirteen ounces of 
these, and having caused them to be well 
cleared of dust, by properly beating with 
sticks, he washed them perfectly eleau in 
warm water. After this they were laid to 
Steep, in a large vessel, with soap, salt- 
petre, and gum arabic. The whole was left 
to boil over a gentle fire for three hours, 
and were afterwards again washed to get 
out the soap ; then laid to dry for some 
days, after which they were carded, but 
with much smaller cards than ordinary. The 
silk is easily spun into a fine and strong 
thread : the difficulty being only to collect 
the silk-bags in sufficient quantity. There 
remains one more particularity in the history 
of spiders, viz. the power of flight. It is 
principally in the autumnal season that these 
diminutive adventurers ascend the air, and 
contribute to fill it with that infinity of float- 
ing cobwebs which are so peculiarly conspi- 
cuous at that per iod of the year. When in- 
clined to make these aerial excursions, the 
spider ascends sopie slight eminence, as the 
top of a wall, or the branch of a tree ; and 
turning itself with its head towards the 
wind, ejaculates several threads, and rising 
from its station, commits itself to the gale, 
and is thus carried far beyond the height of 
the loftiest towers, and enjoys the plea- 
sure of a clearer atmosphere. During their 
flight it is probable that spiders employ 
themselves in catching such minute winged 
insects as may happen to occur in their pro- 
ARB 
gross ; and when satisfied with their journey 
and their prey, they suffer themselves to 
fall, by contracting their limbs, and gra- 
dually disengaging themselves from the 
thread which supports them. See Plate I< 
Entomology, fig. 7 and 8. 
ARAUCARIA, in botany, a genus of the 
Dioecia Monadelphia class and order. 
Male, calyx scales of an ament, terminated 
by a leafet; no corol ; anther® 10 to 12, 
without filaments. Female, calyx air ament 
with many germs ; no corol ; stigma two- 
valved, unequal ; seeds numerous, in a 
roundish cone. 
ARBITER, in civil law, a judge nomi- 
nated by the magistrate, or chosen volun- 
tarily by two parties, in order to decide 
their differences according to law. 
The civilians make this difference between 
arbiter and arbitrator ; though both ground 
their power on the compromise of the par- 
ties, yet their liberty is different, for an ar- 
biter is to judge according to the usages of 
the law, but the arbitrator is permitted ttf 
use his own discretion, and accommodate 
the difference in the manner that appears to 
him most just and equitable. 
ARBITRATION, a power given by two 
or more contending parties to some person 
or persons to determine the dispute between 
them : if the two do not agree it is usual to 
add that another person be called as umpire, 
to whose sole judgment it is then referred. 
The submission to arbitration is the autho- 
rity given by the parties in controversy to 
the arbitrators, to determine and end their 
grievances ; and this being a contract or 
agreement, must not be strictly taken, bat 
largely, according to the intent of the par- 
ties submitted. There are five things inci- 
dent to an arbitration : 1. Matter of con- 
troversy. 2. Submission. 3. Parties to the 
submission. 4. Arbitrators. 5 Giving up 
the arbitration. Matters relating to a free- 
hold, debts due on bond, and criminal of- 
fences are not to be arbitrated. 
ARBITRATOR, a private extraordinary 
judge, chosen by the mutual consent of par- 
ties, to dele-mine controversies between 
them. Arbitrators are to award what is 
equal between both parties, and the per- 
formance must be lawful and possible. An 
action of debt may be brought for money 
adjudged to be paid by arbitrators. 
ARBOR Diance. See Chemistry. 
Arbor vita:. See Thuja. 
Arbor, in mechanics, the principal part 
of a machine which serves to sustain the 
rest ; also the axis or spindle on which s| 
