The Delaware register, or, Farmers', manufacturers' & mechanics' advocate. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1828-1829, 1829-03-14


instantly retres, and prepares another and another,
which it disposes in the manner, till every part
is enyeloped and every motion suspended. 1t then
approaches its prey, and with its sharp horny nppers
sewers the head from the body
1t often happens that some larger animal destroys
very much Injuries the labors which the housewives
brush has spared In this case, the spider is obliged
to remain patient spectator OF the ruin and when
the danger is past sets about repairing the calamity.
In general, the animal is fonder of mending than
king, it is furnished originally with but certain
quantity of glutinous matter, which, when exhausted,
nothing renew.
What appears to the naked eye to be but single
thread in the web of spider, is composed of num-
Der of STRAINS smaller threads drawn from many
different openings in the papillp. How astonishing
must be their tenuity, when, according to the cacu
ations of Lewenhook ten thousand such threads are
no thicker than single hair of his beard.
MIR Disjonva an acknowledgement in the Dutch SER
vice, while prisoner, made variety of experiments
and observations the spider, which have shown that
it may be employed with advantage on meteorological
inquiries
lie remarks " that spiders particularly excellent
as prognostcators of changes in the weather, being
certain than the barometer, giving their indica-
ton longer time beforehand, and having this advan
tage to the lower class of people, that they cost
thing" On the common house spider he made tie
| following remarks. "Against fine weather, it peeps
out its head and stretches its legs out of its hole this
the further the longer the fine weather will continue.
|
very tempestous weather turns quite round, showing
nothing but its hinder parts to the observer thus ac-
quainting him with the approaching change. At the
commencement of fine weather. the web with which it
surrounds its corner is but of moderate extent the
fine weather will be lasting, it enlarges it to two
three inches and if it do this several times repeated
w. we may be certain that the weather will continue
! fine for some time'
On the 22d of July, 1875, Mr. Disonval foretold,
from the behavior Of his SPIDERS fortnight beforehand
that the waters of the Rhine would fall so to render
it passable by bridge of boats and in this manner it
was passed.
His observations the general conduct of the spl-
ders in the winter season. also important as they
are prognoscators of approaching cold. If frost and
snow be coming on they either seize upon the webs
already made in which obstinate battles frequent
y ersue, or they make ones, and labor diligently
at them.
Disionva found, from several attentive observations,
that from the first of the spiders putting themselves In
notion the setting in of the FROST nine days gene
rally elapsed We have striking instance of the JUS
tice of this observation in the circumstances which took
place in the beginning of February, 1898. The wea-
Their was fine warm and there symptom of APP
preaching frcst might have been supposed that fires
would be no longer required but on the 4th Of Feb
ruary Disionva announced that great alteration in
the weather would ensue, as besides other remarks of
similar kind, he had three SPIDERS webs, one
over another, in place where there not one the
preceding evening. On the 9th of February there was
ice and by the 18th all the canals frozen OVER,
0bal~1 fho Oft