*48 
natural history. 
“ again ; till, taking better notice, it Would 
*' come, the next time, exadlly upon the 
“ fly’s back ; but, if this happened not to 
“ be within a competent leap, then would 
“ this infe£t move fo foftly, as the very 
“ fliadow of the dial feemed not to be 
‘‘ more imperceptible, unlefs the fly moved ; 
and then would the fpider move alfo in the 
“ fame prpportion, keeping that jull: time 
“ with her motion, as if the fame foul had 
“ animated both thofe little bodies ; and, 
“ whether it were forwards, backwards, or 
“ to either fide, without at all turning her 
body, like a well-managed horfe : but if 
“ the capricious fly took wing, and pitched 
“ upon another place, behind our huntrefs, 
“ then would the fpider whirl its body fo 
“ nimbly about, as nothing could, be iraa- 
gined more fwift ; by which means, flie 
“ always kept the head towards her prey, 
“ though, to appearance, as immoveable as 
“ if it had been a nail driven into the wood, 
“ till, by that indifcernible progrefs, being 
“ arrived within the fphere' of her reach, 
“ flie made a fatal leap, fwift as lightning, 
upon the fly, catching him in the pole, 
“ where fhe never quitted hold until her 
“ belly was full, and then carried the re- 
“ maindef home. I have beheld them in- 
“ flrufting their young how to hunt ; — 
“ which they would fometimes difeipline 
“ for not well obferving ; but when any of 
‘‘ the old ones did mifs a leap, they v/ould 
“ ruu 
