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AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 
The perfect insect of the ant-lion much resembles the dragon-fly in 
form and general appearance ; it is also furnished with four veined 
wings, by means of which it is enabled to transport itself from place 
to place. The antennse, however, are much longer, and the larvEe of 
the dragon-fly are decidedly aquatic, instead of living upon the land, 
like those of the ant-lion. / 
INSECTS BENEFICIAL TO COTTON 
SPIDERS. 
Spiders, in cotton or grain-fields, are decidedly beneficial, inasmuch 
as they wage perpetual war against other insects, and are incessantly 
on the watch to catch and destroy all which, in their erratic flights, 
happen to become entangled in their webs. 
One spider makes a very singular nest for her young, of fine silk, 
webbed up and closely woven together in the shape of a basket with 
a round bottom, and most generally placed on or near the top of tire 
cotton-plant. This basket is furnished with a cover fitting closely to 
the top, and is filled with eggs. When the young spiders are hatch- 
ed, they creep from under this cover, and eventually disperse over the 
web, which is comparatively large and strong, and stretched from 
plant to plant. The old female spider appears to brood over this 
nest, displaying much maternal solicitude for the safety of her infant 
progeny ; for, if forced away, she immediately returns, and will suf- 
fer herself almost to be torn limb from limb, rather than desert her 
precious charge. 
The habits of the different species of spiders are very dissimilar ; 
for, while some are almost entirely stationary all their life-time, 
others are continually moving about, roaming from leaf to leaf, and 
living entirely by hunting. Many spin their nets from plant to 
plant, to entrap unwary insects, and generally stay quiotly at home 
in comfortable webs, securely sheltered from the sun and rain, under 
or between the leaves, waiting patiently for every stray moth that is 
so unfortunate as to fly into their nets. With the fore-feet carefully 
placed on aline leading to the radiating net-work, in order to feel the 
tremulous motion imparted to it by the unavailing efforts of any cap- 
tive insect to escape, the ant remains perfectly motionless until 
some straggling fly happens to become entangled, when it imme- 
diately rushes down the central line, and, after tying the limbs of its 
unfortunate victim with a loose web of silk, in order to arrest its 
struggles for life, deliberately gives it the death-wound, drags tlm 
carcass to its den, and devours it at leisure. Other spiders hunt for 
and capture their insect prey in a manner similar to that practised 
by the cat. One of them at first approaches an unconscious victim 
so gently as not to awaken its suspicion , at the same time taking ad- 
vantage of every inequality of stem or leaf, in order to conceal itself, 
until within springing distance, and then, jumping suddenly upon 
its back, killing it with its powerful hooked fangs. It then sucks out 
