smaller Cones of the Legs are placed, and extended almost to its Top, in such a won-
derful manner, as does not a little manifest the Wisdom that contrived them so. For
these long Levers the Legs having no counter-acting long Body on the contrary Side of
the Centers whereon they move, must necessarily require a vast Strength to give them
Motion, and keep the Body ballanced and suspended : insomuch that if a Man's Body
were to be suspended by such a Contrivance, an hundred and fifty times the Strength of a
Man would be unsufficient to support it and keep it from falling. To supply these Legs,
therefore, with proper Strength, each is furnished with a large shelly Cafe, which in-
clude a very large and strong Muscle ; whereby this little Creature is enabled, not only to
suspend its Body on two or three of its Legs, but to move it very swiftly over the Tops of
Grass and Leaves.
Besides its eight Legs, this, like all other Sorts of Spiders, has two very short Limbs
coming out before, which may be called its Arms ; since the Use of them is not for walk-
ing, but to hold and turn its Prey. Each of these has three short Joints, is thickly
covered with Hairs, and commonly appears bending as in the Figure A A.
The Picture shews us likewise two double Claws K K in the Fore-part of its Head,
resembling very much those of a Scorpion, but differing a great deal from the Pincers or
Claws in most Kinds of Spiders, which stand horizontally, and serve to seize and wound
their Prey, and which when not made use of, are concealed in two Cases contrived for
their Reception, whereinto they fold like a Clasp-Knife, and lie between a double Row of
Teeth. These Claws before us are undoubtedly for the same purpose, though particularly
adopted to the Manner of this Creature's taking its Prey, which it does by throwing its
Body at once upon it, instead of catching it with its Arms.
C C C C C, are certain Foldings in the Belly or Tail-Part of the Spider. Those on
the upper Side are all covered and defended by a strong Shell, as may be seen in the first
Figure.
D, the Anus, whence little round Fæces or Pellets are excluded.
There are many Species of Spiders varying from one another in Size, Colour, Figure,
Way of Living, and many other Particularities, which would be tedious and improper to
mention in this Place ; but the Hunting-Spider is so extraordinary, that some little De-
?ription of it, with an Account of Mr. EVELYN's Observations on its Cunning and Dex-
terity, may, 'tis hoped, at least not disoblige the curious Reader.
Hunting-Spider
IT is a small grey Spider, with Spots of Black over its whole Body, which are found by
the Microscope to be made up of Feathers like those on the Wings of Butterflies :
Its
Motion is very nimble, sometimes running, leaping at other times almost like a Grashop-
per ; then stopping short, turning round on its hinder Legs with great Agility, and seem-
ing to face every way. It has six Eyes ; two in Front, looking directly forwards ; two by
the Sides of these, pointing both forward and sideways ; and two others on the Middle of
its Back, which are the largest of all, and look backwards and sideways. They are all
black, spherical, and finely polished.
These Spiders are a Sort of Lupi, which spin little or no Webs, but find a Harbour in
Chinks and Crevices of Walls and Houses. Mr. EVELYN says, he frequently observed
some of them at Rome, which espying a Fly, at three or four Yards Distance, upon the
Balcony where he stood, would not make directly to her, but crawl underneath the Rail,
till being got exactly against her, it would steal up, and springing on her, seldom miss its
Aim. But if it chanced to want any thing of being directly opposite to the Fly, after
having peeped, it would immediately slink down again, and taking better Notice, would
come the next time directly on the Fly's Back. But if the Fly happened not to be within
its Leap, the Spider would move towards her so softly, that the Motion of the Shadow
on a Dial is scarcely more imperceptible. However, if the Fly moved, the Spider would
move also in the same proportion, either forwards, backwards, or on either side, like a
well-managed Horse, without turning its Body at all ; keeping the same just Time with
the Fly's Motion as if the same Soul animated the Bodies of them both. But if the ca-
pricious Fly took Wing, and pitched upon some other Place behind the Spider, it would
whirl its Body round with all imaginable Swiftness, pointing its Head always towards the
Fly ; tho’ seemingly as immoveable, as if it had been a Nail driven into the Wood. Be-
ing got within a due Distance, by such undiscernable Approaches, it would then make a
Leap, swift as Lightning, upon the Fly, and catching him by the Pole, never afterwards
quit its hold till its Belly was quite full, when it would carry the Remainder home.
