I have beheld
them instructing their young ones, how to hunt, which they would
sometimes discipline for not well observing; but, when any of the old
ones did (as sometimes) miss a leap, they would run out of the field,
and hide them in their crannies, as asham'd, and haply not be seen
abroad for four or five hours after; for so long have I watched the
nature of this strange Insect, the contemplation of whose so wonderfull
sagacity and address has amaz'd me; nor do I find in any chase
whatsoever, more cunning and Stratagem observ'd: I have found some of
these Spiders in my Garden, when the weather (towards the Spring) is
very hot, but they are nothing so eager of hunting as they are in
_Italy_.
There are multitudes of other sorts of Spiders, whose eyes, and most other
parts and properties, are so exceedingly different both from those I have
describ'd, and from one another, that it would be almost endless, at least
too long for my present Essay, to describe them, as some with six eyes,
plac'd in quite another order; others with eight eyes; others with fewer,
and some with more. They all seem to be creatures of prey, and to feed on
other small Insects, but their ways of catching them seem very differing:
the Shepherd Spider by running on his prey; the Hunting Spider by leaping
on it, other sorts weave Nets, or Cobwebs, whereby they ensnare them,
Nature having both fitted them with materials and tools, and taught them
how to work and weave their Nets, and to lie perdue, and to watch
diligently to run on any Fly, as soon as ever entangled.
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