524 
SPIDER. 
were, covered with two or three setting-nets drawn 
over one another. When the dogs attempted to 
hunt, their eyes were so blinded and hood-winked 
that they could not proceed, but were compelled 
to lie down and scrape the incumbrances from their 
faces with their fore feet ; so that, finding my sport 
interrupted, I returned home, musing in my mind 
on the oddness of the occurrence. 
“ As the morning advanced, the sun became 
bright and warm, and the day turned out one of 
those most lovely ones which no season but the 
autumn produces ; cloudless, calm, serene, and wor- 
thy of the South of France itself. About nine an 
appearance very unusual began to demand our at- 
tention : a shower of cobwebs falling from very ele- 
vated regions, and continuing without any inter- 
ruption till the close of day. These webs were not 
single filmy threads, floating in the air in all direc- 
tions, but perfect flakes or rags, some nearly an 
inch broad and five or six long, which fell with 
a degree of velocity that showed they were con- 
siderably heavier than the atmosphere. On every 
side, as the observer turned his eyes, he might be- 
hold a continual succession of fresh flakes falling 
into his sight, and twinkling like stars, as they 
turned their sides toward the sun. How far this 
wonderful shower extended would be difficult to 
say ; but we know that it reached Bradley, Selborne, 
and Alresford, three places which lie in a sort of 
triangle ; the shortest of whose sides is about eight 
miles in extent. 
