24 
principles, or eggs, as little confpicuous as thofe 
from which thefe minute infects derive their 
beings: this we have already obferved. 
But let us return to the Flea Spider, in 
which the providence of nature is very con- 
f{picuous, having fupplied it with a thread by 
which it may fwing, and be fecured from any 
fudden fall ; if at any time it fhould fail in the 
fprings it makes: however, this thread becomes 
an obftacle to its catching any, except very 
little, animals, when it has remained any time 
in the fame place. Though this infect makes 
ufe of no net to catch its prey, it {pins itfelf, like 
many other Spiders, a web to fly to, and to hide 
in, on being purfued. Another thing worthy 
our notice in the Flea Spider, is, that on point- 
ing your finger to it at a diftance, it wheels 
and turns itfelf about every way you move and 
turn about the finger; and runs off, on your 
putting the finger nearer. Laftly, as I have 
already obferved, there are amongft the Flea 
Spiders which I keep in my cabinet, fome, 
the extremities of whofe claws are found like 
the forceps of Scorpions, except that they are 
not jointed, but fhut in a manner like the 
forceps of the Cray-Fith. * 
I have befides thefe a Hedge Spider, which, 
to hatch its eggs the better, carries them about, 
as it were, in a cafe, with wonderful folici- 
tude and affection ; infomuch, that when the 
fkin forming this cafe, which hangs to the 
hinder part of its body, is by any accident 
broke off, the little infect feeks after it with 
as much earneftnefs and induftry, as a Hen for 
her loft Chickens ; and when found, faftens 
it again to its place with the greateft marks of 
joy. A defcription of this Spider may be 
feen in Harvey’s Treatife on the Generation of 
animals, and more perfetly in doctor Litter, 
who with great propriety calls it the Wolf 
Spider *. 
I preferve alfo in my collection, fome bags 
in the thape of eggs or pearls, in which Spi- 
ders put up their eggs, and hang them, as in 
a bafket, to the beams and floors of houfes. 
T have fometimes obferved fmall Flies to come 
from thefe nets, and have by me fome of the 
Flies thus produced. It would demand too 
much compafs, for this place, to enlarge at pre- 
fent on this fubjeét as muchas it deferves. 
To conclude, I preferve likewife that f{pe- 
cies of long-legged Spiders, which Goedaert, 
to whom the learned world are obliged for 
the drawing of about four hundred infects, has 
exactly defcribed, in the forty-ninth experi- 
ment of hisfecondvolume. He there, in the 
drawing of this infect, moft evidently demon- 
ftrates, that it is a true Nymph at the time 
when it is about to throw off its fkin for the 
laft time; for its legs at this period are length- 
ened in a very remarkable and furprifing man- 
ner. "The accurate Lifter has alfo remarked, 
that Spiders fometimes are not fit to enter upon 
the bufinefs of generation, till they are almoft’ 
The BIOVOW oe A Wes ot 
two years old; which, no doubt, proceeds from 
this, that nature intends they fhould fo long 
continue growing, before they part with 
their laft skin, and with it, the form of a 
Nymph. Before this time they are not fit for . 
generation, and after they are, they never change 
their fkin. 
We are likewife greatly obliged to the late 
accurate James Hoefnagel, painter to the’em- 
peror Rudolphus, who has left us the drawings 
of thirty-five Spiders, and of about three hun- 
dred other infects of different kinds ; which 
drawings, taken after.the life, have been fince 
publifhed from copper-plates, with the privi- 
lege of his imperial majefty, and are in no 
refpect inferior to thofe of Goedaert. 
Wenceflaus Hollaar has alfo applied himfelf 
to this ftudy, and deferved well of the pub- 
lick, by his moft exact drawings of the infe&s 
preferved in the Arundel Mufeum. It were 
greatly to be wifhed, that all thofe who would 
be thought to have any extraordinary know- 
ledge of infects, did the fame, that by their 
joint labours this branch of natural philofophy, 
which is by no means of the leaft account, 
may be brought to perfe@tion. A. thorough 
acquaintance with the difpofitions and actions 
of thefe little animals, would enable us to form 
the better judgment of the difpofitions and 
manners of innumerable others. 
Before I quit the confideration of Spiders, I 
think it will be agreeable to fhew in what 
manner thofe kinds which fpin webs, or live 
upon Flies, get from one tree to another, 
which they will do; even when feparated by a 
running water. It will be firft proper to men- 
tion, that the Spider’s thread is by no means 
fingle, but almoft always double, and fome- 
times even ten or twelve fold. ‘This may be 
eafily {een by throwing down a Spider, and 
immediately examining the thread to which it 
hangs. Orit may be obferved, with ftill greater 
eafe and certainty, by feparating the hinder part 
of a Spider from its fore part, and then draw- 
ing out the thread, and afterwards examining 
it, As therefore the Spider’s thread is gene- 
rally made up of two or more parts, after 
defcending by fuch thread, it afcends by one 
only, and is thus enabled to waft itfelf from 
one height or tree to another, even acrofs run- 
ning waters; the thread it leaves loofe behind 
it, being driven about by the wind, and fo 
fixed to fome other body. ‘his opinion of 
Spiders making ufe of a double thread, has al- 
ready been advanced by Henricus Regius, pro- > 
feffor of medicine at Utrecht, and that emi- 
nent naturalift Francifcus Redus. 
But the accurate doctor Lifter produces 
fome different obfervations on this fubje@ ; he 
fays, that Spiders, in this cafe, {hoot out their 
threads. His words are as follow: . ‘‘ Some 
‘< Spiders fhoot out their threads in the fame 
“‘ manner that-Porcupines do their quills, with 
“this difference only, that whereas the quills 
%* The Wolf Spider makes no web, but lives at large upon dry banks and heaths, perfuing his prey or feizing them by furprife 5 
and is very nimble and very bold. 
* of 
