y
P R E F A C E . P R E F A C E . I l l
AI.THOUCH my labours, in this branch of NATURAL H.STO.V, can be
conCdered bnt as trifling! and though much is yet wantmg to the full
and perfea hiftory of thefe infe&; yet has this treattfe met wtth
rrnlooked-for honour, in the approbation of the Royal Academy of
Sciences of Upfal. to the opinion of which learned body .t has been
fubmitted: a n d w h e n I refleft on this circumftance. I
be irreCftibly impelled, and obliged, to the farther purfutt of .he ftt^dy
of nature, and the dtfcovery of thofe wonders, which tend to Ihew the
power of the Deity in all places.
HAVtNO omitted a number of circumftances which might have been
added, I have endeavoured to be as brtef as poffible in ^ . S TKEAX,S.
ON SPm.KS, on a fuppofition that it might be infer,ed m the aBs of the
Royal Academy of Sciences; and as it was my chief intent,on to fave
time, I contented myfelf with mentioning the number of gene« nd
fpecies, and with rendering them familiar by figures, fo that they mtght be
eafily diftinguilhed; omitting, however, what was not abfolutely neceffary.
as for inftance. whether thofe Sfiers belong to one or more fpectes. or
whether they be young or adult ones, which in the fpace of a fingle n.gh
cover large fields with innumerable threads? whether want of nutr.ment
obliges them to this? whether they prefignily future tempefls. or whether
,hey may be regarded as hints for proper fowing-time? &c. which ts a
nratterwell worthy of inquiry in the complete H.STOPV OP SPIOERS.
But the Royal Academy, perceiving that this h.ftory would require a confiderable
time to be tntroduced into its tranfaaions, and that thofe who
wilhed to become acquainted wt h the hiftory of thefe an.mals. would
thus he obliged to purchafe the whole work, before they could be polfeffed
of what they defired; did therefore exhort me to publiih it feparately,
and gave me good aiTurance that the expences of publiftiing
would be recompenced by the fale of the work.
BY way of additional illuftration, I diligently fought the works of
LISTER and ALBIN, who had both written on the fame fubjeft before me;
but the work of LISTER was unfortunately loft in its paflage, and that of
ALBIN I have never feen to this hour. At length, however, I obtained,
from the Royal Library, the work of LISTER ; and found, to my great
pleafure, that the fame order was preferved in that work, which I had
planned in mine.
I MUCH wondered that LISTER, who had examined fo many places in
Great-Britain, fhould not have difcovered more than fomewhat upwards
of thirty fpecies of Spiders; when in the neighbourhood of Stockholm
alone, I have found more than fixty.
I IMAGINE it will not be unacceptable, if I make fome extrafts from
the above work of LISTER, which is become fo fcarce as to be very feldom
feen; and much lefs eafily obtained. Beiides, when feveral authors
unite their teftimony on a fubjeft, the truth is more confirmed. I alfo
fuppofe I can incur no blame, in omitting fome particulars related by
LISTER ; my intention being in this work, to relate my own obfervations,
and not thofe of others.
IN order, however, to prevent much trouble in endeavouring to obtain
LISTER' S veiy rare work out of libraries, I fhall, for the benefit of my