The Carter, Shepherd Spider, or long-legg’d Spider, has, for two
particularities, very few similar creatures that I have met with, the
first, which is discoverable onely by the _Microscope_, and is in the first
and second _Figures_ of the 31. _Scheme_, plainly describ’d, is the curious
contrivance of his eyes, of which (differing from most other Spiders) he
has onely two, and those plac’d upon the top of a small pillar or hillock,
rising out of the middle of the top of its back, or rather the crown of its
head, for they were fix’d on the very top of this pillar (which is about
the heighth of one of the transverse Diameters of the eye, and look’d on in
another posture, appear’d much of the shape, BCD.) The two eyes, BB, were
placed back to back, with the transparent parts, or the pupils, looking
towards either side, but somewhat more forward then backwards. C was the
column or neck on which they stood, and D the crown of the head out of
which that neck sprung.
These eyes, to appearance, seem’d to be of the very same structure with
that of larger _binocular_ creatures, seeming to have a very smooth and
very protuberant _Cornea_, and in the midst of it to have a very black
pupil, incompassed about with a kind of grey _Iris_, as appears by the
_Figure_; whether it were able to move these eyes to and fro, I have not
observ’d, but ’tis not very likely he should, the pillar or neck C, seeming
to be cover’d and stiffen’d with a crusty shell; but Nature, in
probability, has supply’d that defect, by making the _Cornea_ so very
protuberant, and setting it so cleer above the shadowing or obstructing of
its prospect by the body, that ’tis likely each eye may perceive, though
not see distinctly, almost a _Hemisphere_, whence having so small and round
a body plac’d upon such long leggs, it is quickly able so to wind, and turn
it, as to see any thing distinct. This creature, as do all other Spiders I
have yet examin’d, does very much differ from most other Insects in the
Figure of its eyes; for I cannot, with my best _Microscope_, discover its
eyes to be any ways knobb’d or pearl’d like those of other Insects.
The second Peculiarity which is obvious to the eye, is also very
remarkable, and that is the prodigious length of its leggs, in proportion
to its small round body, each legg of this I drew, being above sixteen
times the length of its whole body, and there are some which have them yet
longer, and others that seem of the same kind, that have them a great deal
shorter; the eight leggs are each of them jointed, just like those of a
Crab, but every of the parts are spun out prodigiously longer in
proportion; each of these leggs are terminated in a small case or shell,
shap’d almost like that of a Musle-shell, as is evident in the third
_Figure_ of the same _Scheme_ (that represents the appearance ot the under
part or belly of the creature) by the shape of the protuberant _conical_
body, IIII, &c. These are as ’twere plac’d or fasten’d on to the
protuberant body of the Insect, which is to be suppos’d very high at M,
making a kind of blunt cone whereof M is to be suppos’d the _Apex_, about
which greater cone of the body, the smaller cones of the leggs are plac’d,
each of them almost reaching to the top in so admirable a manner, as does
not a little manifest the wisdom of Nature in the contrivance; for these
long Leavers (as I may so call them) of the legs, having not the advantage
of a long end on the other side of the _hypomochlion_ or centers on which
the parts of the leggs move, must necessarily require a vast strength to
move them, and keep the body ballanc’d and suspended, in so much, that if
we should suppose a man’s body suspended by such a contrivance, an hundred
and fifty times the strength of a man would not keep the body from falling
on the breast. To supply therefore each of these leggs with its proper
strength, Nature has allow’d to each a large Chest or Cell, in which is
included a very large and strong Muscle, and thereby this little Animal is
not onely able to suspend its body upon less then these eight, but to move
it very swiftly over the tops of grass and leaves.
Nor are these eight leggs so prodigiously long, but the ninth, and tenth,
which are the two claws, KK, are as short, and serve in steed of a
_proboscis_, for those seem’d very little longer then his mouth; each of
them had three parts, but very short, the joints KK, which represented the
third, being longer then both the other. This creature, seems (which I have
several times with pleasure observ’d) to throw its body upon the prey,
insteed of its hands, not unlike a hunting Spider, which leaps like a Cat
at a Mouse. The whole Fabrick was a very pretty one, and could I have
dissected it, I doubt not but I should have found as many singularities
within it as without, perhaps, for the most part, not unlike the parts of a
Crab, which this little creature does in many things, very much resemble;
the curiosity of whose contrivance, I have in another place examin’d. I
omit the description of the horns, AA, of the mouth, LL, which seem’d like
that of a Crab; the speckledness of his shell, which proceeded from a kind
of feathers or hairs, and the hairiness of his leggs, his large _thorax_
and little belly, and the like, they being manifested by the Figure; and
shall onely take notice that the three parts of the body, namely, the head,
breast, and belly, are in this creature strangely confus’d, so that ’tis
difficult to determine which is which, as they are also in a Crab; and
indeed, this seems to be nothing else, but an Air-crab, being made more
light and nimble, proportionable to the _medium_ wherein it resides; and as
Air seems to have but one thousandth part of the body of Water, so does
this Spider seem not to be a thousandth part of the bulk of a Crab.
* * * * *
Observ. XLVIII. _Of the hunting _Spider_, and several other sorts of
_Spiders_._
The hunting Spider is a small grey Spider, prettily bespeck’d with black
spots all over its body, which the _Microscope_ discovers to be a kind of
feathers like those on Butterflies wings, or the body of the white Moth I
lately describ’d. Its gate is very nimble by fits, sometimes running, and
sometimes leaping, like a Grashopper almost, then standing still, and
setting it self on its hinder leggs, it will very nimbly turn its body, and
look round it self every way: It has six very conspicuous eyes, two looking
directly forwards, plac’d just before; two other, on either side of those,
looking forward and side-ways; and two other about the middle of the top of
its back or head, which look backwards and side-wards; these seem’d to be
the biggest. The surface of them all was very black, sphærical, purely
polish’d, reflecting a very cleer and distinct Image of all the ambient
objects, such as a window, a man’s hand, a white Paper, or the like. Some
other properties of this Spider, observ’d by the most accomplish’d Mr.
_Evelyn_, in his travels in _Italy_, are most emphatically set forth in the
History hereunto annexed, which he was pleas’d upon my desire to send me in
writing.
Of all the sorts of Insects, there is none has afforded me more
divertisements then the _Venatores_, which are a sort of _Lupi_, that
have their Denns in the rugged walls, and crevices of our houses; a
small brown and delicately spotted kind of Spiders, whose hinder leggs
are longer then the rest.
Such I did frequently observe at _Rome_, which espying a Fly at three
or four yards distance, upon the Balcony (where I stood) would not make
directly to her, but craul under the Rail, till being arriv’d to the
_Antipodes_, it would steal up, seldom missing its aim; but if it
chanced to want any thing of being perfectly opposite, would at first
peep, immediately slide down again, till taking better notice, it would
come the next time exactly upon the Fly’s back: But, if this hapn’d not
to be within a competent leap, then would this Insect move so softly,
as the very shadow of the Gnomon seem’d not to be more imperceptible,
unless the Fly mov’d; and then would the Spider move also in the same
proportion, keeping that just time with her motion, as if the same Soul
had animated both those little bodies; and whether it were forwards,
backwards, or to either side, without at all turning her body, like a
well mannag’d Horse: But, if the capricious Fly took wing, and pitch’d
upon another place behind our Huntress, then would the Spider whirle
its body so nimbly about, as nothing could be imagin’d more swift; by
which means, she always kept the head towards her prey, though to
appearance, as immovable, as if it had been a Nail driven into the
Wood, till by that indiscernable progress (being arriv’d within the
sphere of her reach) she made a fatal leap (swift as Lightning) upon
the Fly, catching him in the pole, where she never quitted hold till
her belly was full, and then carried the remainder home. I have beheld
them instructing their young ones, how to hunt, which they would
sometimes discipline for not well observing; but, when any of the old
ones did (as sometimes) miss a leap, they would run out of the field,
and hide them in their crannies, as asham’d, and haply not be seen
abroad for four or five hours after; for so long have I watched the
nature of this strange Insect, the contemplation of whose so wonderfull
sagacity and address has amaz’d me; nor do I find in any chase
whatsoever, more cunning and Stratagem observ’d: I have found some of
these Spiders in my Garden, when the weather (towards the Spring) is
very hot, but they are nothing so eager of hunting as they are in
_Italy_.
There are multitudes of other sorts of Spiders, whose eyes, and most other
parts and properties, are so exceedingly different both from those I have
describ’d, and from one another, that it would be almost endless, at least
too long for my present Essay, to describe them, as some with six eyes,
plac’d in quite another order; others with eight eyes; others with fewer,
and some with more. They all seem to be creatures of prey, and to feed on
other small Insects, but their ways of catching them seem very differing:
the Shepherd Spider by running on his prey; the Hunting Spider by leaping
on it, other sorts weave Nets, or Cobwebs, whereby they ensnare them,
Nature having both fitted them with materials and tools, and taught them
how to work and weave their Nets, and to lie perdue, and to watch
diligently to run on any Fly, as soon as ever entangled.
Their thread or web seems to be spun out of some viscous kind of excrement,
lying in their belly, which, though soft when drawn out, is, presently by
reason of its smallness, hardned and dried by the ambient Air. Examining
several of which with my _Microscope_, I found them to appear much like
white Hors-hair, or some such transparent horny substance, and to be of
very differing magnitudes; some appearing as bigg as a Pigg’s brisle,
others equal to a Horss-hair; other no bigger then a man’s hair; others yet
smaller and finer. I observ’d further, that the radiating chords of the web
were much bigger, and smoother then those that were woven round, which
seem’d smaller, and all over knotted or pearl’d, with small transparent
Globules, not unlike small Crystal Beads or seed Pearls, thin strung on a
Clew of Silk; which, whether they were so spun by the Spider, or by the
adventitious moisture of a fogg (which I have observ’d to cover all these
filaments with such Crystalline Beads) I will not now dispute.
These threads were some of them so small, that I could very plainly, with
the _Microscope_, discover the same consecutions of colours as in a
_Prisme_, and they seem’d to proceed from the same cause with those colours
which I have already describ’d in thin plated bodies.
Much resembling a Cobweb, or a confus’d lock of these Cylinders, is a
certain white substance which, after a fogg, may be observ’d to fly up and
down the Air; catching several of these, and examining them with my
_Microscope_, I found them to be much of the same form, looking most like
to a flake of Worsted prepar’d to be spun, though by what means they should
be generated, or produc’d, is not easily imagined: they were of the same
weight, or very little heavier then the Air; and ’tis not unlikely, but
that those great white clouds, that appear all the Summer time, may be of
the same substance.
* * * * *