4 5 
gerous. Some of the Spinning Spiders (j Epeira), room ix. 
are said to form a web, so strong as to arrest 
the flight of small birds; one in this case from 
Bermuda (E. clavipes ), surrounds its nest with a 
bright yellow silk, which is used by the natives 
as thread. Some of them have their bodies 
covered with a hard skin, so that they resemble 
Crabs in miniature; others are armed with long 
spines. The Jumping Spiders ( Salticus ) usually 
have the femora of the two fore legs remarkably 
large. Their habits are curious, and may be 
readily observed in a very common species, the 
aranea scenica , of Linnasus. It is frequently seen 
on sunny walls and palings, running a few steps, 
then suddenly stopping short, and rising on its 
fore legs to look round for its prey, which con¬ 
sists of minute insects and gnats, especially the 
latter. As soon as it discovers one, it advances 
with a stealthy step, a few paces at a time, 
till it is near enough to spring on it at a single 
bound, when it seizes the poor victim, and de¬ 
vours it. 
Many of these Spiders construct silken nests, 
in the form of oval bags, open at both ends, in 
which they rest—but leave them in great haste 
on the slightest appearance of danger. The next 
family have the first pair of legs, furnished with 
moveable thumbs ( Chelce ), like the claw of a 
Lobster.—Amongst these are the genera Phry- 
nus, and Thelyphonus ( Tarantula , Fab.), the 
Scorpions, 
