This was woven in a stocking-weaver's loom, and there can be no doubt but it would bear any other loom. The thirteen ounces of bags yielded nearly four ounces of silk, three of which made a pair of stockings large enough for a man. It would be difficult to obtain bags sufficient to render the manufacture of this kind of silk important in a commercial view; as, to obtain one pound of silk, no fewer than 28,000 bags would be wanted; and for this quantity a greater number of spiders than this must be bred, as none but the females spin them. But a still greater difficulty arises from the carnivorous disposition of the insects, which leads them to devour each other. Were not this the case, a very adopted for them, in the soft If the silk had answered, we

nutritious food might be substance of fresh quills.

should have had, from different species of Spiders, several genuine colours in silk; such as gray, white, sky-blue, and coffee-colour; whereas, silkworms yield only white and orange-colour.

These Spiders lay six or seven hundred eggs in the same bag. This is generally done in August or September, and about sixteen days afterward the youngones are hatched. If the weather continue cold, these remain in their nidus for several months, without eating or increasing in bulk; but they make their appearance abroad at the commencement of the warm weather. The old ones live only a short time after the eggs are laid.

THE WANDERING SPIDER *, AND JUMPING SPIDER.

The Wandering Spider, which is very common on

DESCRIPTION. The colour of the Wandering Spider is reddish brown, darker on the thorax than the abdomen. This part has, on each side, towards the top, a blackish line, or a brown spot. The two anterior legs, which are long, have blackish rings. The four hind legs are very short. !

SYNONYMS.

Latreille.

Aranea viatica. Linn. L'Araignée rurale.

plants, does not lie in wait for its prey, like several others: it is a lively and active hunter. Its head is furnished, as in the rest, with immovable eyes. Without any motion of the head, it perceives all the flies that hover around: it does not alarm, but stretches over them its arms, furnished with feathers, which prove nets that entangle their wings. The Spider seizes them between its merciless claws, and instantly sucks their blood.

In its general form, as well as in its manner of running, the Wandering Spider has much the appearance of a small crab. It carries its eggs enveloped in a small

bag of whitish silk.

The manners of the Jumping Spider* are very singular. This insect does not, like many others, take its prey by means of a net, but it is constrained to seize them only by its own activity. It is extremely nimble, at times leaping like a grasshopper, then standing still, and raising itself on its hind legs to look around for prey. If it see a fly at the distance of three or four yards, it does not run directly to it, but endeavours, as much as possible, to conceal itself till it can arrive near; and then creeping slowly up, and seldom missing its aim, it springs upon the insect's back, in which case it is almost impossible for the fly to effect an escape. But if, before the Spider reach it, the fly take wing and fix upon another place, the little animal whirls nimbly about, and still keeps its eye upon it, in order to commence a fresh attack.

DESCRIPTION. The abdomen is oblong, and has three semicircular white lines on each side. The body is covered with silvery hair. The legs are short, hairy, black, and white. SYNONYMS. Aranea scenica. ronnée, in France.

Linn.—L'Araignée Chev

THE WATER-SPIDER".

This singular little creature is a very common inhabitant of our fresh waters. When in the water, its belly appears as if covered with a silver varnish. This, however, is nothing more than a bubble of air, attached to the abdomen by the oily humours which transpire from the body, and prevent the immediate contact of the water. By means of this kind of bubble, the insect forms its dwelling under the water. It fixes several silky threads to the stalks of water-plants, and then, ascending to the surface, thrusts the hinder part of its body above the water, drawing it back with so much rapidity, as to attach beneath a bubble of air, which it has the art of detaining below, by placing it under the threads abovementioned, and which it bends, like a covering, almost round it. It then again ascends for another air-bubble, and thus proceeds till it has constructed an aërial apartment under the water, which it enters into or quits at pleasure. The male constructs for himself one near that of the female, and afterwards breaks through the thread walls of the female's dwelling; and the two bubbles, attached to the bellies of both, unite into one, forming one large chamber.

The female takes care of the young-ones, and constructs similar apartments for them.

The figure of this Spider has in it nothing remarkable; and the insect may be overlooked among a crowd of curiosities, if the spectator be unacquainted with its singular art of constructing an aërial habitation under

* DESCRIPTION. The Water-spider is of a brown colour, and somewhat downy. The male is much larger than the female. In both sexes the two anterior legs are much longer than the others, and the nippers are very large. On the abdomen there are many transverse wrinkles; and on the back there are two impressed dots.

SYNONYMS. tique. Tigny.

Aranea aquatica.

Linn.-L'Araignée aqua

water, and thus availing itself of the properties of both elements. It lodges, during the winter, in empty shells, which it dexterously closes with a web.

THE GOSSAMER SPIDER *.

The following observations, by M. Bechstein, a German naturalist, on the origin of the Gossamer, are curious, and convey a more accurate account of it than I have met with in any other writer :

"Some naturalists (says this gentleman) have considered the Gossamer as the evaporation of plants, condensed by the air during the cool days of harvest, and converted into threads like those which can be drawn from resinous juices; others, as the production of a kind of spider, on account of its similarity to the threads of common spiders: and M. Pereboon has discovered a kind of beetle, furnished with a vesicle on its back; from the hinder parts of which, on both sides, proceed two threads, that extend over the extremity of the body, and end in a double thread, sometimes ten or more inches in length: this thread he supposes to form the Gossamer.

Having, for many years, made the closest observations on this phenomenon, I am of opinion it is caused by a species of field-spider, so small and active, as to be imperceptible, unless the observer possess a very acute sight. This spider, if it have no name already, I propose to call the Gossamer Spider, Aranea Obtextrix. It is about the size of the head of a small pin. Its head is somewhat long, and has in the fore-part eight gray eyes, placed in a circular form. The body is of a shining dark brown colour, with the abdomen shaped like an egg. The legs are yellowish.

"These spiders first appear in the beginning of October, in woods, gardens, and meadows, where their

* Aranea Obtextrix?

eggs are hatched in safety: thence they spread themselves over whole districts, and, during the rest of October, and till the middle of November, may be found in dry fields throughout Europe. Extensive tracts of land are sometimes seen swarming with them. In the beginning of October, when but very few are hatched, some single threads of their webs, extending from twig to twig, are seen only in the sunshine; about the middle of the month their threads are more perceptible; and towards the end, if a person stand in such a position as to see the sun-beams play on the slender threads, hedges, meadows, corn-fields, stubble land, and even whole districts, appear covered as with a sort of fine white gauze.

"The Gossamer Spider does not weave a web, but only extends its thread from one place to another. These threads are so delicate, that a single filament cannot be seen unless the sun shines on it. One of them, to be visible at other times, must be composed of at least six common threads twisted together. In serene, calm days, these spiders work with great diligence, especially after the disappearance of the morning fogs. Between twelve and two, however, their industry excites the greatest admiration. A person with a quick eye, or by the help of a glass, may sometimes perceive among the barley-stubble such a multitude of these insects, extending their threads, that the fields appear as if covered with swarms of gnats.

"Several of the single threads become twisted together by the gentlest breath of wind, and form perceptible threads, which being broken by stronger winds, unite into thick threads, or even into balls, and float through the atmosphere. These are then called in. Germany, the flying summer, because the summer seems to fly away at the same time. The spiders are conveyed in them but it is not uncommon to find spiders of other species in them, which have been entangled and dragged away; and even the webs of other spiders, and the dried husks of insects that have been caught by them, are often found in the Gossamer.