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On the Sagacity of the Spider?

For the LADY'S MAGAZINE.

177

and what it takes most pains to render as complete as poffible. Nature has

DESERVATIONS on the SAGACITY of furnifhed the body of this little crea

A

the SPIDER.

ture with a glutinous liquid, which it fpins into a thread coarfer or finer, as it chufes to contract or dilate its fphincter. In order to fix its thread when it begins to weave, it emits a fmall drop of its liquid againft the wall, which, hardening by degrees,

NIMALS, in general, are fagacious in proportion as they cultivate fociety. The elephant and the beaver fhew the greatest figns of this when united; but when man intrudes into their communities, they lofe all their spirit of induftry, and tefferves to hold the thread very firmly. tify but a very fmall fhare of that fagacity, for which, when in a focial tate, they are fo remarkable.

Then, receding from the firft point, as it recedes the thread lengthens; and when the spider has come to the place thewhere the other end of the thread fhould be fixed, gathering up with its claws the thread which would otherwife be too flack, it is ftretched tightly, and fixed in the fame manner to the wall as before.

Among infects, the labours of bee and ant have employed the attention and admiration of the naturalift; but their whole fagacity is loft upon feparation, and a fingle bee or ant feems deftitute of every degree of induftry, is the most ftupid infect imaginable, languifbes for a time in folitude, and foon dies.

Of all the folitary infects I have ever remarked, the fpider is the moft fagacious, and its actions to me, who have attentively confidered them, feem almost to exceed belief. This infect is formed by nature for a state of war, not only upon other infects, but upon its own fpecies. For this ftate nature fecms perfectly well to have formed it. Its head and breaft are covered with a trong, natural coat of mail, which is impenetrable to the attempts of every other infect, and its belly is enveloped in a foft, pliant skin, which eludes the fting even of a wafp. Its legs are terminated by Arong claws, not unlike thofe of a lobster, and their vaft length, like fpears, ferve to keep every affail. ant at a distance.

In this manner it fpins and fixes feveral threads parallel to each other, which, fo to fpeak, ferve as the warp to the intended web. To form the woof, it fpins in the fame manner its thread, tranfverfely fixing one end to the first thread that was fpun, and which is always the ftrongeft of the whole web, and the other to the wall. Allthefe threads, being newly fpun, are glutinous, and therefore ftick to each other wherever they happen to touch, and in thofe parts of the web most expofed to be torn, our natural artist ftrengthens them, by doubling the threads fometimes fix-fold.

Thus far naturalifts have gone in the defcription of this animal; what follows is the refult of my own obfer-, vation upon that fpecies of the infect called an HOUSE-SPIDER. I perceiv ed, about four years ago, a large fpider Not worse furnished for obfervation in one corner of my room, making its than for an attack or defence, it has web, and though the maid frequently feveral eyes, large, tranfparent, and co-levelled her fatal broom against the la vered with an horay fubftance, which,bours of the little animal, 1 had the however, does not impede its vifion.good fortune then to prevent its deftrucBelides this, it is furnished with a forceps above the mouth, which serves to kill or fecure the prey already caught in its claws or its net.

Such are the implements of war with which the body is immediately furnished; but its net to entangle the enemy feems what it chiefly trufts to, VOL. X.

tion, and I may fay it more than paid me by the entertainment it afforded.

In three days the web was with incredible diligence compleated, nor could I avoid thinking that the infect feem. ed to exult in his new abode. It frequently traverfed it round, examined the ftrength of every part of it, retired A a

into

net, but those, it seems, were irrepa rable: the cobweb, therefore, was now entirely forfaken, and a new one began, which was completed in the ufual time.

I had now a mind to try how many cobwebs a fingle fpider could furnish; I, therefore, deftroyed this, and the infect fet about another. When I dc

into its hole, and often came out of it. The firft enemy, however, it had to encounter, was another, and a much larger spider, which having no web of its own, and having, probably, exhaufted all its flock in former labours of this kind, came to invade the property of its neighbour. Soon then a terrible encounter enfued, in which the invader feemed to have the victo-troyed the other also, its whole stock ry, and the laborious fpider was ob- feemed quite exhaufted, and it could liged to take refuge in its hole. Upon fpin no more. The arts it made use this I perceived the victor uting every of to fupport itself, now deprived of its art to draw the enemy from his ftrong great means of fubfiftence, were, inhold. He feemed to go off, but quick-deed, furprifing. I have feen it roll ly returned, and when he found all arts vain, began to demolish the new web without mercy. This brought on another battle, and, contrary to my expectations, the laborious fpider became conqueror, and fairly killed his antagonist.

Now then, in peaceable poffeffion of what was justly its own, it waited three days with the utmost patience, repairing the breaches of its web, and taking no fuftenance that I could perceive. At laft, however, a large blue Ay fell into the fnare, and ftruggled hard to get loofe. The fpider gave it leave to entangle itself as much as poffible, but it seemed to be too strong for the cobweb. I must own I was greatly furprised when I faw the fpider immediately fally out, and in lefs than a minute weave a new net round its captive, by which the motion of its wings was flopped, and when it was fairly hampered in this manner, it was feized and dragged into the hole. ́

In this manner it lived, in a precarious ftate, and nature feemed to have fitted it for fuch a life, for upon a fingle fly it fubfifted more than a week. I once put a wasp into the net, but when the fpider came out, in order to feize it as ufual, upon perceiving what kind of an enemy it had to deal with, it inftantly broke all the bands that held it fatt, and contributed all that lay in his power to difengage fo formidable an antagonist. When the wafp was at liberty, I expected the fpider would have fet about repairing the breaches that were made in its 6

up its legs, like a ball, and lie motionlefs for hours together, but cautiously watching all the time; when a fly happened to approach fufficiently near, it would dart out all at once, and often feize its prey.

Of this life, however, it foon began to grow weary, and refolved to invade the poffeffion of fome other fpider, fince it could not make a web of its own. It formed an attack upon a neighbouring fortification with great vigour, and at firft was as vigorously repulled. Not daunted, however, with on defeat, in this manner it continued to lay fiege to another's web for three days, and, at length, having killed the defendant, actually took poffeffion.When fmaller flies happen to fall into the fuare, the fpider does not fally out at once, but very patiently waits till it is fare of them, for upon his immediately approaching, the terror of his appearance might give the captive ftrength fufficient to get loofe: the manner then is to wait patiently, till, by ineffectual and impotent struggles, the captive has wafted all its ftrength, and then he becomes a certain and an eafy conqueft.

The infe&t I am now defcribing lived three years, every year it changed its skin, and got a new fet of legs. I have fometimes plucked off a leg, which grew again in two or three days. At first it dreaded my approach in its web, but at last it became fo familiar, as to take a fly out of my hand, and upon my touching any part of the web, would immedi

ately

Occafional Letters to Bob Short.

ately leave the hole, prepared either for a defence or attack.

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To complete this defcription, it may be obferved, that the male fpider is much less than the female, and that the latter are oviparous. When they come to lay, they fpread a part of their web under the eggs, and then roll them up carefully, as we roll up things in a cloth, and thus hatch them in their hole. If disturbed in their holes, they never attempt to cfcape without carrying this young brood in their forceps away with them, and thus frequently are facrificed to their parental affection.

As foon as ever the young ones leave their artificial covering, they begin to fpin, and almost fenfibly feem to grow bigger. If they have the good fortune, when even but a day old, to catch a fly, they fall to with good appetites, but they live fometimes three or four days without any fort of fuftenance, and yet ftill continue to grow larger, fo as every day to double their former fize. As they grow old, however, they do not ftill continue to increafe; their legs only continue to grow longer. When a ipider becomes entirely ftiff with age, and unable to feize its prey, it dics, at length, of hunger.

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179

an intimacy, which generally ends in the mistaken fair one's depofiting her fecrets in the bofom of a deceitful hypocrite; and, in a fhort time, they grow fo totally dependant on them, and fo abject is the flavery, that it is often very difficult, nay dangerous, if not totally impracticable, to drop their unwelcome affociates.

They are, moftly, perfons who have long been loft to every fense of shame and honour themselves, and who would willingly fee others in the fame predicament with themselves. It fol. lows, therefore, that they will endeavour, all in their power, to leffen, if not to deftroy the reputation of those they are connected with, like the goat, who through folly having fuffered himfelf to lofe his beard, endeavoured to perfuade his brethren a beard was no

ornament..

I doubt not but many of the fair fex will own they have oftner been misled by ill advice from fuch perfons as I am defcribing, than through any fault of their own, for many follow very implicitly fuch perfuafions, while the counfel of their real friends and relations is neglected, or, what is worfe, defpifed: I therefore, when I hear of female mifconduct, forbear to cenfure, till I confider the characters of thofe whom I judge principal advifers.

I fhall illustrate the obfervation with an example, which I called this week to mind. Charlotte Peterfon is a young woman of good abilities and parts; fhe is not yet twenty, and has a regular fet of features, though no beauty. She is unfortunately bereft of her parents, and as fhe is now be come her own mistress, the eyes of many are fixed upon her, and will doubtlefs magnify her fmalleft failings.

But Charlotte has fenfe enough to conduct herself, if she was not above receiving advice from those who are moft capable of giving it, and the lif tens only to a fet of truly contemptible wretches, very much beneath her in every refpect; and perfons of a very

bad character, among whom is one Mrs. Needy, who is reported by some A a z

as a kept mistress; yet so far has fhe infinuated herfelf into Charlotte's ef teem, that he alone is blind to her failings, and has fhut her ears to whatever is faid against her.

a skin, this they beat with a single stick, and it gives a sound' that is far from harmonious, but just ferves to beat time with. To this they fome times add the chechicoc, and in their war-dances they ufe a kind of fife, formed of a reed, which makes a fhrill, harfh noife.

The whole affembly were by this time united, and the dance began; feveral fingers affifted the mufic with their voices, and the women, joined in the chorus at certain intervals; they produced together not an unpleafant, but favage harmony, This was one of the most agreeable entertainments faw whilft I was among them.

Is Charlotte's cafe fingular? Sure. ly not. Many form connections which become difficult to break; as many neglect their own good to please o thers. Would the drop her despicable acquaintance, what joy would the give all her real well-wishers! How much caution should young people take, before they enter into a trict intimacy with any one! How careful ought parents and guardians to be, whom they fuffer to furround the blooming youth-1 ful fet under their charge -And, O ye lovely girls, who adorn this ifle, confider who you take into the lift of your friends, left you should cherish adders in your bofom, who in return will fting you for your kindness.

If you will favour me and the public with your thoughts on this very important fubject, I fhall acknowledge the obligation. Your pen is far more able than mine to delineate this mat ter properly, and fhould it conduce towards removing the film from the eyes of the perfon hinted at above, I fhall, in a very particular manner, be bound to declare myself,

With unspeakable joy, Your real and obliged well-wisher, Goodman's Fields, G. REF*Y.

DANCES of the interior Inhabitants of
NORTH AMERICA, fom CARVER'S
TRAVELS, Page 266, &c.

(Concluded from p. 135.)

I could not help laughing at a fingular childish cuitom I obferved they introduced into this dance, and which was the only one that had the leaft appearance of conjuration. Most of the members carried in their hands an otter or martin's fkin, which being taken whole from the body, and filled with wind, on being compreffed, made a fqueaking noise through a fmall piece of wood organically formed, and fixed in its month.

When this inftrument was prefented to the face of any of the company, and the found emitted, the person receiving it inftantly fell down to all appearance dead. Some times two or three, both men and women, were on the ground together, but immediately recovering, they rofe up and joined again in the dance. This feemed to afford even the chiefs themfelves infirite diverfion. I afterwards learned that these were their dri penates or houf hold gods.

After fome hours fpent in this manner, the feaft began, The dishes beLL thofe that had been admit-ing brought near me, I perceived that

A tyd within the rails; now form they confifted of dogs-fefh, and I was

ed a circle around their newly elected brother, and the music striking up, the great chief fung a fong, celebrating, as ufual their martial exploits.

The only mafic they make use of is a drum, which is compofed of a piece of a hollow tree, curioully wrought, and over one end of which is ftrained

informed that at all their public grand feafts they never made ufe of any other kind of food. For this purpose, at the feaft I am now speaking of, the new candidate provides fat dogs, if they can be procured at any price.

In this custom of eating dog's-flefh on particular occations, they refemble

the

Dances of the interior Inhabitants of North America.

181

the inhabitants of some of the conn- and ordered my men to keep a watchtries that lie on the north-east bonderful eye on them, and to be alfo upon of Afia *. The author of the ac- their guard. count of Kamfchatka, publifhed by order of the emprefs of Ruffia, (before referred to) informs us, that the people inhabiting Koreka, a country north of Kamfchatka, who wander about in hords like the Arabs, when they pay their worship to the evil beings, kill a rein deer or a dog, the flesh of which they eat, and leave the head and tongue, flicking it on a pole, with the front towards the east..

Alfo, that when they are afraid of any infectious diftemper, they kill a dog, and winding his guts about two poles, pals between them. Thefe cuftoms, in which they are nearly imiated by the Indians, feem to add frength to my fuppofition, that America was first peopled from this quar

ter.

The Indians entered, and continued their dance, alternately finging, at the fame time, their heroic exploits, and their fuperiority over every other race of people. To enforce their language, though it was uncommonly nervous and expreffive, and fuch as would have carried terror into the firmeft heart, at the end of every period they ftruck their war clubs againft the poles of my tent with fuch violence, that I expected every moment it would have tumbled upon us.

As each of them, in dancing round, paffed by me, they placed their right hands over their eyes, and coming clofe to me, looked me fteadfaftly in the face, which I could not conftrue into a token of friendship. My men gave themselves up for loft, and I acknow

found my apprehenfions more tumultuous on any occafion.

When they had nearly ended their dance, I prefented to them the pipe of peace, but they would not receive it. I then, as my laft refource, thought what prefents would do; accordingly I took from my cheft fome ribbands and trinkets, which I laid before them, These feemed to ftagger their refolutions, and to avert, in fome degree, their anger, for after holding a confultation together, they fat down on the ground, which I confidered as a favourable omen.

I know not under what clafs of dan-ledge, for my own part, that I never ces to rank that performed by the Indians, who came to my tent when I Janded near Lake Pepin on the banks of the Miffilippi, as related in my journals. When I looked out, as there I mentioned, I faw about twenty naked young Indians, the most perfect in their fhape, and by far the handfomeft of any I had ever feen, coming towards me, and dancing, as they approached, to the mufic of their drums. At every ten or twelve yards they halted, and fet up their yells and cries. When they reached my tent, I afked them to come in, which, without deigning to make me any anfwer, they did. As I obferved that they were painted red and black, as they ufually are when they go against an enemy, and perceived that fome parts of the war-dance was intermixed with their, other movements, I doubted not but they were fet on by the inimical chief, who had refused my falutation. I determined, therefore, to fell my life as dear as poffible. To this purpose I received them fitting on my cheft, with my gun and piftols befide me,

• We may add the Patagonians, &c. Sce Cooke's and Foster's Voyages.

Thus it proved, as in a fhort time they received the pipe of peace, and lighting it, first prefented it to me, and then fmoaked with it themselves. Soon after they took up the prefents which had hitherto lain neglected, and ap pearing to be much pleafed with them, departed in a friendly manner; and never did I receive greater pleasure than at the getting rid of fuch formidable guests,

It was not ever in my power to gain a thorough knowledge of the designs of my vifitors. 1 had fufficient reafon to think they were hoftile, and that their vifit was made through the

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