The Ball concluded about 20 minutes before 12 o'clock, when their. majefties retired. On the SAGACITY of the SPIDER. fpider appears to poffefs the greateft fagacity, and is at the fame time formed by nature to be in a ftate to combat not only with other infects, but also againff thofe of its own fpecies. Its head and breaft are covered with a very ftrong coat of mail, impenetrable to the attacks of other infects; its belly is enveloped with a foft and flexible fkin, which eludes the fting of the wafp; its limbs are articulated like thofe of the craw-fif, each of them having at their extremities large nails, which ferves to keep its affailants at a diftance. The eyes of the fpider are large, tranfparent, and covered with a fcaly tranfparent fubitance. Below its mouth are claws, or nippers, (forceps) which ferve it either to deftroy, or to make fure of the prey, which has fallen into its claws or into its web. This infect feems to place ftill more confidence in its web, than in its arms, either offenfive or defenfive, We know what art it employs in forming the fnare, Nature has fur nished it with a glutinous liquor, which it fpins to what fize it pleafes, either by opening or contracting the fpincter muscles. In order to fpin its thread, as foon as it begins its operations, it preffes out a drop of the liquor, which as it dries, forms the thread it draws out, as it diverges from its firft pofition. When it reaches its intended diftance, it draws this thread with its claws to ftretch it properly, and fix it to the wall as it did before it fet off, Thus it fecures many threads pai rallel to each other, which serves it woof it does the fame thing tranfverfe, by fixing one end to its outer threads, which is always the strongest, and the other to the wall. All thefe threads being nearly prepared, or fpun, are glutinous; for which rea-: fon they adhere to every thing they touch; and thofe parts which are moit fubject to be torn, the fpider fecures by doubling them fometimes even fix times. The domeftic fpider ufually re news its web in three days, although those which have before been made, have not been deftroyed. It has been obferved, that a large fpider of that fpecies frequently goes round its web, and examines it in every place that it frequently comes from its hole, and retires to it again. Let us hear what an attentive obferver fays, who has made many particular obfervations on the fpecies of infect of which we are now fpeaking. The chief enemy of the domeftic fpider, which this gentleman had a convenient opportunity of obferving even in its hole, was another fpider of a much larger fize. The latter not being able to fpia any more web, came to invade the property of its neighbour: a terrible combat immediately enfued, in which victory feemed to incline, to the fide of the ufurper, for the induftrious-fpiderwas obliged to take refuge in its hole. After this the conqueror em ployed every method to draw the other from its retreat. It appeared to go away, but returned again quickly, quickly, and feeing all its artifices were in vain, it began to deftroy the web of the vanquished. This brought on another combat, in which the laborious fpider had the good fortune to flay its antagonist.. Then, in peaceable poffeffion of what fo justly belonged to it, it paffed three days in repairing the breaches done to its web, and without taking any nourishment that our obferver could perceive. After fome time, a large blue fly fell into the ner, and struggled violently to get loofe. The fpider at first let it alone, but feeing that it was too ftrong for its web, it came out of its hole, and in less than a minute fo completely enveloped the fly in a new thread, that it had not the leaft ufe of its limbs, and thus fecured, dragged it into its retreat. Thus the fpider lived in this manner in a precarious ftate, for which nature feemed to have prepared it; it fubfifted on this fly for a week. One day a wafp was thrown into the web; the fpider according to custom, ran towards it; but feeing what kind of enemy it had to combat, foon broke all the ftring which confined it, and did every thing in its power to get clear of fo formidable an antagonist. As foon as the wafp was at liberty, I expected that the fpider would have repaired the breaches made in its web, but they were irreparable; for it abandoned them entirely, and began a new one which it ended in the ufual time. near enough to it, it darted upon it, and feldom miffed At last, as if difgufted with this kind of life, it determined to invade the poffeffions of another fpider. It made an attack on a neighbouring fortification with much vigour, but was repulfed. Far from being dif couraged by this repulfe, it laid fiege to another for three days, at the end of which it killed the proprietor, and took poffeffion of the premises. The fpider does not dart on the little flies immediately, which are taken in its web; for, at first view, terror gives the fly frength to endeavour to difengage itself; but patiently attends until it has exhausted its ftrength in unavailing efforts in this manner it is always fure of its prey. This fpider lived for three years, and each year changed its skin. The gentleman, who made thefo remarks, fays, he fometimes fnatched off one of the animals claws, which was replaced by a new one in two or three days. The spider at first was fears ful when he came near it; but afterwards it became familiar, and if he touched any part of its websit would put itself into a state of of fence and defence." The male fpider was observed to be much fmaller than the female, and they are oviparous. When they have laid their eggs, they envelope them carefully in a piece of their web; and, if they are obliged to To fee how many webs a fpider fly, exert themselves to carry the was capable of furnishing, this new eggs with them, and often perish web was destroyed: it made another, victims to an attachment to their which was likewife demolished: it brood. As foon as the little ones now feamed exhausted, for it fpua are hatched, they begin to fpin, and no more. The artifices it ufed, al appear to grow even to the eye. If though deprived of its chief protec-they have the good fortune to catch tion, are furprising. I obferved it to draw up its claws, and then it looked like a ball. It remained for hours immoveable, but always on its guard; when a fly approached a fy, which they are able to do twenty-four hours after their birth, they feize on it voraciously; but fometimes the young live three ori four days without any nourishment, and and this does not prevent their inereafing in bulk every day. REFLECTIONS on the USES and AD. (By Sir JOHN HILL.) TIGHT and fleep are fo connect to go forth under favour of its darknefs, and filently feek their food in the abandoned fields. It affords these voracious creatures means of coming to clear his abode of whatever might infeft it, and even of taking from him fuch things as are by him too careletly guarded. It permits, however, the animal that ftands fentry by him to give him notice of what concerns him, while it imposes filence on every other creature. It keeps the horse, the ox, and all his other domestics faft afleep around him. It difperfes the birds, and fends each of them to their respective abode. As it comes on, it gradually hufhes the winds that disturbs the atmosphere. It evi ed, and the former fo proper ly made to bring on the latter, that whenever we land in need of repofe, we begin it by procuring a fort of artificial night to ourselves. We feek fome fhady lonefome place, and have recourse to curtains and windowfhutters. Our fenfes are never unbent but by the removal of what gives them agitation; and it is evidently is commiflioned to fecure the dently this fervice to which Night lord of nature's reft. It caufes his is commiffioned and appointed. But repofe to be reverenced every where, let us confider for a moment, with the moment of which is no fooner what a difcreet caution it discharges come, but all tumults ceafe; all that duty. creatures retire, and for feveral hours together, an univerfal filence reigns throughout his habitation. Night in ferving man, does not tie him, up exactly to any precife moment; it comes not in a blunt and abrupt manner to extinguish the light of the day, and all on a fudden to rob us of the sight of those objects we are intent upon. Nor yet does Nature's palace res main wholly void of light. For as those who inhabit it, might perchance be inclined to prolong their works of journies during the night itfelf, feveral flambeaus fcattered in the firmament ftill guide their steps; but thefe lights which were granted that nefs, yield but a gentle and not very brilliant light. It would have been neither proper nor juft, to fupply thofe that wake with fuch a light as might interrupt the repofe of cthers. Far, indeed, from coming upon us unawares in the midst of our works or travels, it advances, on the contrary, by flow fteps, and on-they might not be left in total darkly increases and thickens its darkness by degrees. It permits us to make an end of what it is our intereft to finish, and does not precipitately deny us the fight of the goal we strive to arrive at. It is not till after it has decently told us of the neceflity of taking our reft, that it fina-ly makes an end of darkening the whole face of nature, When the abfence of the moon, or the thickness of the air, takes from us the light we stand in need of, we are always mafters of procuring it to ourfelves. We find the principle of During all the time of man's re-it in the bowels of flints, and its fuel pofe, Night, for his fake, hufhes in the wood, the oil, the fat of arievery noife, keeps off all glaring male, the wax which bees collect lights, and whatever might too strong-from flowers, and in the vegetative ly affect him. It, indeed, fuffers a tallow that may be drawn from fevefew animals, whofe grim afpectral plants. But the nocturnal light might feare him, while he is at work, ferves us very differently from that of the fun. The latter invites us, it warms us, it proffes us, it fends us to work. On the contrary, the fire we light, does not come of it's own accord, but stays for our orders. Nay, we cannot come at it without Tome toil, nor keep it without care. That borrowed light is always ready to difappear; it seems to be miťplaced, and even loth to disturb the repofe of nature. Man rids himself of this, as foon as it becomes either troublesome or useless to him; and he of neceffity wraps himself again in that beneficial darkness, which helps him to recruit his spirits, and recover his ftrength with fleep. gree, by experiments and long ext culations. It would be fo much philofophy loft, on account both of its little ufe and great uncertainty. But it is no lefs eafy than it is important for us to difcern and praise the infinite wisdom, whose works are so exactly proportioned to our neceffities When man is inclined to have the benefit of that faint light, or wholefome coolness, which attends the return of night, he indeed, fees no more the fame beauties in his habitation, and every thing is lefs ftriking and lively there. But, as the day has afforded him it proper fpectacle, the night, in its turn, favours him with another, that has charms peculiar to itfelf, and of quite another character. It is not only by its darkness that night becomes ufeful to us: it is again of fervice through a coolness, which, by every where preling We cannot doubt but that these down the spring of the air, makes it immenfe globes of fire, which encapable of working with greater acti. lighten our night at fo great a di vity in all bodies, and communicat-ftance, have each of them in partiing a new vigour, both to the dry cular a peculiar appointment, which grafs, and to the enfeebled animals. aufwers in God's purposes the magIt is in order to preserve this bene-nificence of their appearance. ficial coolness that the moon, in reflecting to us the light of the fun, gives i us in fuch a degree as has no fenfible heat. In vain would we collect that light in the focus of the ftrongest burning glafs it does not even affect the thermometer, when put in the point that unites its rays, nor caufes there Doubtless, the reafons and frame of thefe wonderful works, about which, the Creator has once employed himfelf, will greatly deserve, that we ourselves dould be employed about them in that life, after which we all of us fo ardently aspire. LER. Nobleman bringing fome of his A friends to fee his fan's pick the leaft dilatation in the fpirits of ANECDOTE of Sir GODFREY KNEZA wine, otherwife fo fufceptible of it. An admirable caution of the divine artificer, who has established the or der of the night, and forefeen whatever would be beneficial in it. He referves, for that time, a light frong enough to remove darkness, but, at she fame time, too weak to alter the coolness of the air. He alone, knows his own work: he alone can know the exceffive diminution of a bundle of rays which he caufes to pafs from the body of the fun to that of the moon: the remainder of which are reflected down to us weak and quite titute of heat. It is perfectly edlefs for us to determine its de ture, flood staring about the room to look for it, and then asked the painter which it soos? This provoked him, and when they were gone, he turned to Bing, who on fuch occafions always attended him, and exclaimed, My God, Bing, I never did paint a liker picture than this young Lord, but by G-d man, I did put a little fenfe in his face, and now yon fee neither his father nor friends know the fool again !" ALEXIS |