The Sun.
London, England, 1865-09-19 00:00:00

ARRIVAL OF THE LIMERICK.

QUEENSTOWN, Sept. 18.

The extra Inman steamship City of Limerick,
from New York on the 6th inst., arrived here this
morning, and proceeded for Liverpool at 11.30
a.m. She brings 170 passengers, 41 of whom were
landed at this port.

DOES THE SPIDER EAT ITS WEB ?—Fired with
emulation, I carefully watched a common garden
spider (4peira diadem), which I found as entertaining as
wonderful. I commenced by destroying the web of a finer
fat spider, and the owner appeared excessively astonished
as her web collapsed around her. At length she took
refuge in an inverted flower-pot, where I found her two
hours after. lam inclined to think that during this period
she waspreparing materials for a new web. I found in every
case where a web is destroyed, that the spider goes away to
some quiet spot, and drawing his legs round him, remains
quiet for some hours. During this period 'of repose, the
spider is stupid and dull—just gives an impatient shuffle
when touched, but does not run off, as spiders gene-
rally do when disturbed. I watched again, then left, and
when I returned in half an hour I found the spider as ac-
tive as a spider could be in building a new web, the old
one, which at my last visit was still hanging, had now
vanished. Had the spider eaten it ?—" that's the rub."
By a lucky chance another spider came along the piece of
wood, from the end of which my spider had fastened one
of her foundation lines. " They met," and in an instant
the claws of each were shot out with a dexterity that a
pugilist might envy; the blows were given in exactly
the
same manner as a cat strikes at her antagonist. The
w hfolly llhye to
stood,s tty
h we h
leter e
trespassing spider was soon convinced that it would be the
height
hhiemws
eaisf,
dsoo,wfnasotennitno a galine
from
con-
volvulus leaf. My friend rushed to the spot where
spider N 0.2 had fastened his line, and seizing on it, the other
end of which, be it remembered, was in communication with
spider No.'s body, began to wind him off; that is to say she
drew the line in towards herself, in the same manner that a
sailor hauls in a rope, but with a a rapidity that was truly
wonderful, the front legs were moved so quickly that my
eyes could scarcely follow them. Spider No. 2 having a
decided objection to his vitals being wound away in this
sort of manner, put an end to my friend's little pastime by
cutting the line. Spider No. 1 had now collected web that
amounted to about the size of a large pea ; when she found
the supply cut off, she began stowing it away in her own
body, forcing it in with her two front claws, and in a few
moments not a vestige was left.—ll. Voices in " Hard-
toicke's Science Gossip."
A SICILIAN POMPEII.—We learn from the Forbici
of Palermo that some important results have been
yielded by the excavations made on the site of the ancient
city of Solus, now called Solunto. For two years the
works have been executed systematically under the direc-
tion of a commission. Columns, pavements, and mosaics
inscriptions, coins and domestic utensils, especially of glass,
have been found in great abundance. Certain portions of
the city have been laid bare, and there is every reason to
hope that, after the completion of the arrangements now
in progress for the purchase of the ground covering these
interesting relics, many highly important discoveries will
reward the zeal and perseverance of their palermitan com-
mission. Unfortunately the present moment is not pro-
pitious to the development of archaeological and historical
research in Italy ; all of us, more or or less, have been
caught by the whirling eddies of politics, and nitwit more
urgent questions relating to the present condition and to
the future prospects of the country absorb nearly all the
' energy which elsewhere finds occupation in the peaceful
studies of the past. Even the stupendous relations of
Pompeii and of Herculaneum excite little interest, and
Obey. Fiorolli's Giornale degli Scavi, a periodical which in
France, in Germany and in England would have found a
large circle of readers, has perished in Italy from the better
indifference of the public ! Let us hope that better times
are at hand, and that the discoveries of Solunto will infuse
fresh life and vigour into a branch of inquiries for which
this country, with such exhaustless treasures lying at her
very door, enjoys peculiar facilities, and in which therefore
she ought to bear away the
palm from all competitors.
MELANCHOLY DEATH OF A WANDERER.—On
Saturday morning au inquest was held in Bonner-road,
Victoria-park, on the body of Caroline blarban, aged CO.
Deceased applied for admission at the Bethnal-green Work-
house, saying she was starving. She was at once taken iii,
and arrowroot and stimulants administered, but she sank
and died at 2 o'clock on Wednesday morning. Her body
was emaciated, and it was asserted that she had been in
the habit of sleeping in the fields and obtaining a miserable
subsistence by begging. The jury returned a verdict that
the deceased died from the mortal effects of tlisew of tl4§,
lungs, accelerated by long privation. .