D ED 1 C A T 1 ON.
T his, SIR, compleats my ambition from
thofe labours, which I have cMlgned for the
general improvement of mankind, in the many
various intricacies in nature, /concerning that
infed, the Spider, of which the philofophical
tranfadions of the year. 1671 mention thirty
three different forts to be found in England, but
this falls far fhort of the real number that nature
has produced of this infed; for, here in this trea-
tife, near two hundred different forts of Spiders
are defcribed. Permit me, to exprefs rnyfelf,
with the profoundeft refped,
Honoured Sir,
Tour mofl humble,
and obedient Servant,
Eleazar Albin.
H E great Mr. Addifort in his fpeda-
tor, N°, 121. fpeaking of thofe whole
genius and talents carry them toward
natural hiffory, fays thus.
fC I C o u l d wifh that out of feveral writers,
u fome one would take each his particular fpe-
u cies, and give us a diflind account of the frame,
“ and texture of its parts, and particularly thofe
“ which diflinguifh it from other animals. This
would