SPIDERS : THEIR COLLECTION AND PRESERVATION. 
express myself strongly and in good set terms anent the scarcity 
of the students of the Arachnida group. It is not too much to 
say, however, being denied the pleasure of such a proceeding by 
a vigorous editor, that comparatively not one in a couple of hundred 
designating themselves naturalists know even the slightest rudi¬ 
ments of Spiderology. Perhaps this is due to the repelling 
qualities of the creature, but certainly this is no valid excuse, 
with one calling himself a naturalist. Spiders should have 
no fear for him. Perhaps again the excuse is owing to a fancied 
difficulty in the preparation of specimens for the cabinet and 
because—yes, we must say it—because then they are not pretty 
like butterflies and eggs. That touches a good many I fancy. 
Never mind don’t be too hard on me and I will see if I can 
rouse an interest in you, then you will study mayhap all about 
them this winter (more than I could hope to tell you) from other 
books, and next year perhaps you will take the field. The total 
number of species as yet found in England does not exceed four 
hundred, but these will provide plenty of work for a diligent 
student, if he can conquer his dislike and come to make friends 
with them in a tolerant sort of way. 
Spiders it musthere be explained (for the beliefis still prevalent) 
are not insects, they form the order Araneidea of the class 
Arachnida. Their position is somewhere between the Insecta 
and Crustacea and their classification is based upon the number 
of their eyes. Octo?ioculina —eight eyes. Scnoculina —six eyes. 
Binoculina —two eyes. The latter goes unrepresented in England, 
so the studeut will only have two large groups to fasten his 
attention on. It will be comparatively easy for him to pronounce 
which group his specimens belong to,—and why ? If they don’t * 
belong to Octonoculina they will to Senoculina if not to Scnoculina 
to Octonoculina. The chances will be mostly on the latter, it 
being the better represented in our country. I will leave the 
anatomy till another time and content myself now with mentioning 
that spiders in contra-distinction to Insects are possessed of a 
respiratory apparatus— pulmobranchia —that is, organs having the 
function of both lungs and gills, and that they are oviparous, one 
impregnation of the female, sufficing to produce several batches 
of eggs. 
Habitats. The places selected by spiders for their abode, are 
numerous. Thus the Lycosdice or Wolfspiders roam about after 
the fashion of wolves, and catch their prey by sheer dexterity. 
The Epeiridce or Geometrical spiders so familiar to all, construct 
a beautiful web and seldom leave its vicinity. The Salticidce 
or Leaping spiders construct no web but roam about like the 
wolf spiders, capturing their prey by a sudden leap, whence their 
name. They will jump in a similar manner when alarmed. 
The ThomisidcB or Crab-spiders conceal themselves in cracks 
of trees, rocks, walls, &c., or supportthemselves amongst herbage. 
