g on Erris Begh (in Connemara), this summer, I
passed through many spider-lines so strong as to offer a very
sensible resistance before breaking. I don't remember to have ever
before met with them so strong and tenacious, and the makers of
optical instruments might there have found abundance of threads
which I am told are valuable as _cross-wires_ for transit-
instruments and theodolites. I did not meet with any of the
spiders that had thrown out these lines, but judging of them by
their works I suppose they must have been large ones.

One of your correspondents was inquiring a few weeks since how it
was that a spider could throw out a long line between two trees or
buildings at a considerable distance from each other. This seems
to me to be very easily explained, if we reason from the analogy
of the flying spider. The spider seems to throw out a line,
trusting it will catch somewhere or other, and it is able to
ascertain it has done so by pulling at it, and when it finds that
it is firmly fixed it starts off to travel upon it, as I have
occasionally noticed.

Everyone has noticed how carefully the spider carries her cocoon
of eggs attached to the vent, and how disconsolate she appears to
be when deprived of them; but I don't think it is so generally
known that some of the spiders carry their young on their backs
for some time after they are hatched. I remember seeing an
instance of this one day when on the Moors, grouse-shooting. I saw
what seemed to be a very curious insect travelling on the ling
(heather), and on stooping down to examine it I found it was a
large spider, upon the back of which (in fact, all over it) were
clustered some dozens of young ones, about the size of pins'
heads; she also seemed to guard them with great care, and seemed
much afraid of losing them.

FINIS.

NOTES.

[1] There is a fish somewhat resembling the Brambling in the
Dunsop, a tributary of the Hodder, where it is known by the name
of the Bull Penk.

[2] My opinion that neither Trout nor Salmon spawn every year is I
think strongly corroborated by the fact, that previous to the Act
of 1861 the London fish market was supplied with Salmon of the
largest size, and of the best quality, in October, November, and
December. When these fish were examined, it was found that the
ovaries were but small, and the individual ova were not larger
than mustard seed. These fish could not have spawned that season,
nor would they have done so if