LETTERS ON ENTOMOLOGY. 155 
this way they go to a great height. One day in 
the autumn, he went upon the highest steeple of 
York minster, from which he saw the floating 
webs still very far above him ; some spiders fell 
down, and he found they were of a species which 
never enter houses. Many kinds have this 
faculty, though only in their youth, or half- 
grown state. Mr. White witnessed a shower of 
these gossamer webs, the account of which may 
amuse you. On the 21st of September, 1741, he 
rose before daybreak, and on going out, found the 
whole country covered with cobwebs drenched 
in dew, as if two or three nets had been drawn 
over it. When his dogs attempted to hunt, their 
eyes were so blinded that they were obliged to 
lie down and scrape themselves. This appear^ 
ance was followed by a very fine day ; and about 
nine o'clock a shower of webs, in flakes near an 
inch broad, and five or six long, was observed 
to begin, and continued falling all day with con- 
siderable velocity. The flakes hung so thick in 
the trees and hedges, that baskets full might 
have been collected. The use of these air-borne 
chariots seems to be, to enable the spiders to 
catch the small flies which live high in the atmo- 
sphere, for their remains are often found in 
them. 
