T H £ 
BIRD-CATCHING SPIDER. 
Generic Character. 
Eight Legs. 
Eight Eyes. 
Mouth furnifhed with 2 hooks or holders. 
Two jointed Palpi or Feelers, the tips of which 
(in the males) diftinguifh the fex. 
The Abdomen terminated by papillae, or teats, 
through which the Infett draws its thread. 
Specific Character. 
SPIDER with orbicular convex thorax with a 
tranfverfe central excavation, 
Lin. Syjl. Nat. p. 1034. 
Mer. Sunn. tab. 18. 
The common Spiders of Europe are frequently be¬ 
held with horror and averfion by thofe who have not 
accuftomed themfelves to an attentive furvey of the 
works of nature; but what are thefe when compared 
with the terrific magnitude of the gigantic fpecies here 
exhibited! A fpecies which is formidable not only to 
other infects, but even to birds themfelves ; whofe 
fangs are equal in fize to the talons of a hawk, and 
whofe 
