NATURAL HISTORY. 
her purpofe of preying on the pafllng fly. 
It is obferved that in order to finifh her work 
the fooner, flie fpins feveral threads at oue 
time : after thus fmifhing, fhe then croflfes 
her work with threads, in the fame diredfion 
as the weaver throws the woof with his fhut- 
tie. To prevent her being feen, fhe weaves 
a fmall cell in the web, where fhe lies, un- 
obferved, until the tremulous thread informs 
her of fome prey being entangled in her 
toils ; fhe then darts along the line, ^nd 
feizes the vidim, then devoted to deflrudtion. 
Many fuperficial obfervers of nature have 
wondered from w'hence the fpider could be 
fupplied with the gum fire ufes in the many 
webs fhe i< obliged to make, or repair : they 
never Tefledbed, that^ the fame providence 
which knows the fpider is hated, and that 
her web is always in danger of injury, 
could furnifli her with a magazine of both 
gum and thread, for fuch exigencies ; and 
that when the magazine was exhauffed, it 
could, by the fame means, be repleniflied. 
However, it muff be admitted the recruits 
fail in time ; for w'hen the irifedt grows 
old, it is deprived of its weaving materi- 
als ; it is therefore obliged to depend on the 
generous conTpalfion of the young fpider, 
W'ho will frequently refign its- own web to 
the infirm infedb, and weave foL itfclf ano- 
ther. 
'Ihe web of the garden fpider differs al- 
moff as much from the web of a houfe fpi- 
der, 
