speedily constructed webs. By preference these were stretched across the
windows, illustrating one of the three principal instincts of this
spider, which are, first, to _seek the light_; second, to _ascend_; and
third, to take a position with the _head downward_.

It was now a question how they were to be fed; not so much while there,
where flies were abundant, but after their arrival at the North. So,
remembering that the young ones had seemed to relish blood, I took the
tender liver of a chicken, cut it into little pieces, and dipped them in
water, not, I am sorry to say, with any view to supply them with that
fluid for the want of which they afterward perished, but in order that
the bits of liver should be more easily pulled from the pins by the
spiders. To my delight they greedily accepted the new food, and now I
felt assured of keeping them during the winter.

Deferring, however, a more particular account of what was observed at
Mt. Pleasant, until their habits and mode of life are taken up in order,
it should be understood that, during our short stay, my attention was
chiefly directed to getting from the spiders as much silk as possible;
for it was evident that practical men would not credit the usefulness of
spiders' silk until an appreciable quantity could be shown to them. The
first trial of the machine with a live spider proved it an utter
failure; for though quite ingenious and complicated, it had been devised
with reference only to _dead_ spiders. In regard to the arrangement
(wherein lay its chief, if not sole, peculiarity) by which a thin slip
of brass was sprung against a rubber band by the latter's elasticity,
with a view to secure the spider's legs between them, it was found that,
as the spider was alive, and, literally, kicking, and two of its legs
were smaller than the rest, these were at once extricated, and the
others soon followed; while, if the spring was made forcible enough to
hold the smaller legs, the larger were in danger of being crushed, and
the spider, fearing this, often disjointed them, according to the
convenient, though loose habit of most Arachnida, crabs, and other
articulates. It was also proposed to secure several spiders in the above
manner upon the periphery of a wheel, the revolution of which would give
a twist to their conjoined threads, carried through a common eyelet upon
the spindle; but this can be accomplished without the inconvenience of
whirling the spiders out of sight,