III. The Hornet is yet more dangerous, and has been known to pursue a Sparrow, and kill it, and then suck its Blood. The Hornet and Wasp have strong Jaws tooth’d, by which they can dig into Fruits, for Sustenance; yea, and into harder Substances, for Quarters.
If you take a Bee, a Wasp, or Hornet, and gently squeeze the Tail, so that you can see the Sting, you may perceive a Drop of transparent Liquor at the very end of it; which if wiped off, you shall soon see it renew’d, that Liquid passing down the Cavity into the end thereof: ’Tis said the Decoction of Hornets dropt on the Skin, makes it swell.
IV. I proceed to the Spider, another little venemous Insect, whose forked Tongue or Sting, is very fine and sharp; by this he pierces Flies—and at the same time, instils a poisonous Juice into the Wound, by which the Prey being kill’d, it sucks out the Moisture, and leaves nothing but a husky dry Carcass: Tradition says, it poisons by spitting, or breathing, because it dare not approach so near to a large Fly as to a little one; but keeps at some distance, and uses a kind of shoving Motion, upon which the Fly has done struggling.
There are various sorts of these little strange Creatures, whose Stings are hurtful, as the Astorius, (so called from its resemblance to a Star) whose Wound produces Heaviness, and Relaxation of the Nerves. The Cæruleus, or blue Spider, whose Sting is attended with Vomiting and Pain at the Heart. The Lycos, the least of the kind, that causes an Asthma, and Swelling about the wounded Part. In the Philosophical Transactions, we have a Table of thirty-three kinds of Spiders found in England, by Dr. Lister[[309]].
[309]. Lowthorp, vol. ii. p. 793.
There is something very curious and admirable in those long Threads they make in the Air, during some part of Summer, especially towards September, so much wonder’d at, in such Quantities every where. The Method of Operation, I take to be as follows, viz.
All Spiders that spin in a Thread, are the Makers of those Threads, most visible in the Autumn. In all the ways of weaving, they still let down the Thread they make use of, and draw it after them. Attending on one that wrought a Net, I saw it, says a very nice Observer, suddenly in the Mid-work desist, and turning his Tail into the Wind, to dart out a Thread, with the Violence we see Water spout out of a Spring: This Thread taken up by the Wind, was in a Moment emitted some Fathoms long, still issuing out of his Belly; by and by the Spider leapt into the Air, and the Thread mounted her up swiftly.—And I found the Air fill’d with young and old, sailing on their Threads, and undoubtedly, says the Relator, seizing Gnats and other Insects in their Passage; there being often manifest Signs of Slaughter, as Legs, and Wings of Flies ... on these Lines, as in their Webs below[[310]].
[310]. Lowthorp, vol. ii. p. 794.
Spiders have been observed to get to the Top of a Branch or such like thing, where they exercise this darting of Threads into the Air. After the first Flight, all the time of their sailing on those Threads, they make Locks, still darting forth fresh Supplies of Thread to sport and sail by. N. B. Those called Shepherds, or long-legg’d Spiders, are no Spinners.
I have seen Spiders, says the Learned Dr. Hulse[[311]], shoot their Webs three Yards long before they begin to sail upon them. So the Learned Derham observes, that with pleasure he had often seen Spiders dart out their Webs, and sail away by the Help thereof.