Micrographia Restaurata, & c

An EXPLANATION of the TWENTY-EIGHTH PLATE

FIG. 1. The Back of the long-legg'd Spider

THE Spider we are about to describe is that found frequently in Fields and Gardens in the Summer and Autumn Seasons,

Long-legg'd Spider.

having eight Legs, extremely long and slen- der, wherewith it strides at a great rate over the Grass and Herbs. Its Body is very small in proportion to its Legs, in the Center of which it is listed up on high, as it were on so many Stilts. It appears slattish, of a grey Colour, and nearly round or oval to the naked Eye ; but the Microscope shews the Shell of its Back to be heptangular and speckled. Many know it by the Name of the Carter, Shepherd-Spider, or Field-Spider.

This Spider is most remarkable for its Eyes and its long Legs ; of both which an Ac- count will be given in due Order. The Number of Eyes in Spiders differs according to their different Species ; some having eight or ten, some six, and others no more than four placed in their Fore-part or Head, which is without a Neck ; but this under Exami- nation has only a single Pair, and those too not situated upon the Fore-front, as in other Sorts, but on a Protuberance (which perhaps may be the Head) rising out of the Middle of the Top of its Back, as in the Figure B B.

PLATE XXVIII. FIG. 2. The Eyes of the long-legg'd Spider

IN order to give a more satisfactory View of these Eyes,

Eyes of the long legg'd Spider.

and their extraordinary Situa- tion, another Drawing is presented, where the two Eyes B B are placed, back to back, with the transparent Parts or Pupils looking on either side, but rather forwards than backwards, fixed on the Summit of the Neck C, which is an Eminence on the Middle of the Protuberance D D, and making therewith somewhat more than the Height of the transverse Diameter of the Eye.

The Structure of these Eyes resembles that of larger binocular Animals, having a Cor- nea very smooth and circular, with a black Pupil in the midst thereof, incircled with a kind of grey Iris. The Eyes of other Spiders are immoveable, nor is it possible these can be turned about in any manner, as the Neck whereon they stand is covered and stiffened with a crusty Shell ; but this Defect is probably supplied by the Roundness of the Cornea, and the Height of their Situation above the Body, whereby 'tis likely each Eye may per- ceive, though not distinctly, nearly a compleat Hemisphere ; and that having so small and round a Body on such long Legs, it is able so to wind and turn it as to see every thing distinct.—All Spiders are without Eyelids, or any Pearling in their Eyes.

The best Way of coming at a proper Sight of this wonderful Object, is by breaking off all the Legs, as in Fig. I. and then placing it before the Microscope.

PLATE XXVIII. FIG. 3. The Belly of the long-legg'd Spider

WE see the same Spider turned here with its Belly upwards,

Belly of the long-legg'd Spider.

to shew in what man- ner the Legs are joined on to the Under-Part of the Thorax : And this is all could be given of them in the Figure, their enormous Length rendering it impossible to bring them into any sizeable Drawing, as they appeared magnisied by the Microscope ; each Leg of the present Spider being above sixteen times the Length of its whole Body ; and there are some that have them much longer in proportion. Its Legs are jointed like those of a Crab, but all the Parts of them are prodigiously more lengthned out : The End of each, where inserted under the Thorax, is a hard protuberant conical Case or Shell, and somewhat in the Shape of a Muscle-Shell, as will better be understood by viewing the Parts, B B B B, &c.

The Middle of the Thorax rises very much at M, making a kind of blunt Cone, whereof M may be supposed the Apex : About which greater Cone of the Body, the