NATURAL HISTORY. 196 
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GENUS VIII. ' 
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CHARACTER. 
| ‘Tuts infect has eight feet, asmany eyes, a mouth 
_ armed with two crotchets, two'fpiral tongues; and 
the bottom of the abdomen has two initruments, hke 
nipples, adapted for fpinning.. ~ ” . 
Of thefe infects there are many different fpecies, 
that which moftly diftinguifhes the fpider, is the man- 
ner of forming its web: She firft choofes a place 
where there is a cavity, that fhe may havea clear paf-. 
fage, to pafs freely on each fide, and to efcape occa- 
fionally. : She begins, by dropping on the wall fome 
of her gum ; to which fhe attaches her firft thread, 
which lenghtens as fhe paffes ‘to the other fide, to 
which fhe Fes the thread in a fimilar manner: ‘Thus 
the paffes and repafles, from fide to fide, until fhe has © 
made what may be termed the warp of her web, ex- 
actly the fize ihe intends it fhould be, or which fhe’ 
thinks will anfwer her purpofe of preying on the paff- 
ing fly. It is obferved tnat in order to-finith her 
work the fooner, fhe fpins ieveral threads at one 
time: After thus finifhing, fhe then crofies her work 
with threads, in the fame direction as the weaver 
throws ‘the woof with his fhuttle. Vo prevent her 
being feen, fhe weaves a {mall cell in the web, where 
fhe lies, unobferved, until the tremulous thread in- 
form her of fome prey being entangled in her toils: ) 
' She then darts along the. line, and feizes the victim, 
ttien devoted to deftruction. Many fuperficial ob- 
fervers of nature have wondered from whence the 
{pider could be fupplied with the ‘gitm fhe -ufes in 
the many Webs fhe is obliged to make, or repair : 
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