the Spider, a genus of insects belonging to the order of aptera, or insects without wings. All the species of spiders have eight legs, with three joints in each, and terminating in three crooked claws; eight eyes, two before, two behind, and the rest on the sides of the head. The mouth consists of two claws or talons, denticulated like a saw. A little below the point of the claw, there is a small hole, through which the spider emits a kind of poison. These claws are the weapons with which they kill flies, &c., for their food. The belly or hinder part is separated from the head and breast by a small thread-like tube. The skin or outer surface is a hard polished crust. Spiders have five tubercles or nipples at the extremity of the belly, whose apertures they can enlarge or contract at pleasure. It is through these apertures that they spin a gluey substance with which their bellies are full. They fix the end of their threads by applying these nipples to any substance, and the threads lengthen in proportion as the animal recedes from it. They can stop the issuing of the threads by contracting the nipples, and re-ascend by means of the claws on their feet, much in the same manner as some men warp up a rope. When the common house-spider begins her web, she generally chuses a place where there is a cavity, such as the corner of a room, that she may have a free passage on each side, to make her escape in case of danger. Then she fixes one end of her thread to the wall, and passes on to the other side, dragging the thread along with her, (or rather the thread follows her as she proceeds), till she arrives at the other side, and there fixes the other end of it. Thus she passes and repasses, till she has made as many parallel threads as she thinks necessary for her purpose. After this, she begins again and crosses these by other parallel threads, which may be named the woof. These are the toils or snares which she prepares for entangling flies, and other small insects, which happen to light upon it. But, besides this large web, she generally weaves a small cell for herself, where she lies concealed watching for her prey. Betwixt this cell and the large web, she has a bridge of threads, which, by communicating with the threads of the large one, both give her early intelligence when anything touches the web, and enables her to pass quickly in order to lay hold of it. There are many other methods of weaving peculiar to different species of spiders. But, as they are all intended for the same purpose, it is needless to give particular descriptions of them.

Linnaeus enumerates 47 species of spiders, viz. 1. The diadema, has a globular reddish belly, with a white cross. It inhabits the birch-tree. 2. The reticulata, has a reticulated round belly, and is dusky or purple on the back. It frequents gardens. 3. The cucurbitina, has a globular yellow belly, with a few black spots. It lives in the leaves of trees, and incloses its eggs in a soft net. 4. The calycina, with a round pale yellow belly, and two hollow points. It lives in the cups of flowers, after the flower-leaves have fallen off, and catches bees, and other flies, when they are in search of honey. 5. The octopunctata, with a roundish yellow belly, four black marks on each side, and a red anus. It is a native of Sweden. 6. The bipunctata, with a round red belly, and two hollow points. It frequents windows. 7. The arundinacia, with a white roundish belly, and dusky-coloured spots. It frequents reeds. 8. The angulata, with an oval belly; the fore-part of the sides form an acute angle. It frequents trees. 9. The domestica, or common house-spider, has a dusky oval belly, with five contiguous black spots. 10. The trilineata, with a white belly, and three longitudinal lines of blackish spots. It lives in woods. 11. The riparia, has an oval glazed black belly, and a yellowish forked hairy anus. It lives in the sandy banks of rivers. 12. The labyrinthica, with a dusky oval belly, a whitish indented line, and a forked anus. The web of this species is horizontal, with a cylindrical well or tube in the middle. 13. The quadrilinata, has a roundish yellow belly, and four spots and four purple lines on each side. It is a native of Sweden. 14. The redimita, has an oblong yellow belly, and a red oval ring on the back. It frequents gardens. 15. The coronata, has a black oval belly, and an oval white ring on the back. It dwells upon plants. 16. The fumigata, has a dusky oval belly, and two white points at the base. It lives in the fields. 17. The montana, has a white oval belly, with ash-coloured spots. It lives in trees. 18. The sanguinolenta, has a blood-coloured belly, with a black longitudinal line. It is a native of Spain. 19. The notata, has an oval dusky-coloured belly, with white transverse lines. 20. The rufipes, has a dusky belly, and reddish legs. It most frequently lives among nettles. 21. The nocturna, has a black belly, with two white points, and a little white half-moon at the base of the anus. 22. The extensa, has a long greenish shining belly, and its legs are extended longitudinally. It frequents marshy grounds. 23. The fimbriata, has a black oblong belly, with a white line on each side, and dusky-coloured legs. It lives in water, upon the surface of which it runs with great swiftness. 24. The sexpunctata, has an oblong belly, and three pair of hollow points. It lives in woods. 25. The flavissima, has a smooth oblong belly of a very yellow colour. It is a native of Egypt. 26. The bimaculata, has a chestnut-coloured roundish belly, with two white points. 27. The clavipes, has an oblong belly, and the last joints of the legs, excepting the third pair, are hairy and clavated. It is a native of America. 28. The quadripunctata, has a black oblong belly, and four hol- low points. It is to be met with in windows, &c.

29. The holoscricea, has an ovalish belly covered with a down like velvet; at the base, or under part, it has two yellow spots. It is found in the folded leaves of plants.

30. The fenoculata, is distinguished from the rest by having only six eyes.

31. The avicularia, has a convex round breast, hollowed transversely in the middle. It is a native of America, and feeds upon small birds, insects, &c. The bite of this spider is as venomous as that of the serpent.

32. The spinimobilis, has moveable black spines on its legs. It is a native of Surinam.

33. The venatoria, is a hairy spider, with a round convex breast, about the same size with the belly, which is oval. It is a native of America.

34. The ocellata, has three pair of eyes on its thighs. It is about the same size with the tarantula, of a pale colour, with a black ring round the belly, and two large black spots on the sides of the breast. It is a native of China.

35. The tarantula, Plate XXIII. fig. 10. The breast (1), and belly (2), are of an ash-colour; the legs (3) are likewise ash-coloured, with blackish rings on the under part; the fangs, or nippers (4), are red on the inner side, the rest being blackish; (5) is the antennae or feelers: Two of its eyes are larger than the other, red, and placed in the front; four other eyes are placed in a transverse direction towards the mouth; the other two are nearer the back. It is a native of Italy, Cyprus, Barbary, and the E. Indies. The breast and belly are about two inches long, terminated by two short tails. This figure was taken from the life, in the island of Cyprus, by Alex' Drummond, Esq; late consul at Aleppo. The bite of the tarantula is said to occasion an inflammation in the part, which in a few hours brings on sickness, fainting, and difficulty of breathing: The person afterwards is affected with a delirium, putting himself into the most extravagant postures. However, this is not always the case; for they are sometimes seized with a deep melancholy. The same symptoms return annually, in some cases, for several years, and at last terminate in death. Music is said to be the only cure. It induces the patient to dance, and sweat out the poison.

36. The fecnica, is a black jumping spider, with three white semicircular lines across its body. It frequents old walls.

37. The truncorum, is a black jumping spider, with white spots on the back. It frequents walls, and old wood.

38. The rupestris, is a jumping spider, with black spots on its belly, which is edged with red and white in the middle. It frequents walls and trees.

39. The aquatica, is of a livid colour, with an oval belly, and a transverse line, and two hollowed points. It frequents the fresh waters of Europe; and lodges, during the winter, in empty shells, which it dextrously shuts up with a web.

40. The faccata, has an oval belly of a dusky iron colour. It lives in the ground, and carries a sack with its eggs, where-ever it goes. This sack it glues to its belly, and will rather die than leave it behind.

41. The palustris, has an oblong cloudy belly, with two white lines on each side. It frequents marshy grounds.

42. The virefens has an oblong greenish yellow belly, with white lines on the sides. It frequents gardens.

43. The viatica, has a roundish plain belly, with the four last legs shorter than the others. It frequents gardens, and sits upon its eggs.

44. The lavipes, has a depressed rhomboidal belly, with its legs extended in a transverse direction. It is found on trees and walls.

45. The tetracantha, has a lunated belly, and is found in St Thomas's Isle.

46. The cancriformis, has a globular belly, and is a native of America.

47. The spinosa, has eight spines on its back, and a conical belly. It is a native of America.

ARANEA concava, the spider-shell, a name given to several species of murex. See MUREX.