andIhavedistinctlyseenthethreadfromthespinnerslengthenedbytheanimalwhileyetstationary，aspreparatorytoitsfall。Ifthegroundisclearbeneath，theEpeiraseldomfalls，butmovesquicklythroughacentralpassagefromonetotheotherside。Whenstillfurtherdisturbed，itpractisesamostcuriousmanoeuvre：standinginthemiddle，itviolentlyjerkstheweb，whichitattachedtoelastictwigs，tillatlastthewholeacquiressucharapidvibratorymovement，thateventheoutlineofthespider’sbodybecomesindistinct。
　　ItiswellknownthatmostoftheBritishspiders，whenalargeinsectiscaughtintheirwebs，endeavourtocutthelinesandliberatetheirprey，tosavetheirnetsfrombeingentirelyspoiled。Ionce，however，sawinahot-houseinShropshirealargefemalewaspcaughtintheirregularwebofaquitesmallspider；andthisspider，insteadofcuttingtheweb，mostperseveringlycontinuedtoentanglethebody，andespeciallythewings，ofitsprey。Thewaspatfirstaimedinvainrepeatedthrustswithitsstingatitslittleantagonist。Pityingthewasp，afterallowingittostruggleformorethananhour，Ikilleditandputitbackintotheweb。
　　Thespidersoonreturned；andanhourafterwardsIwasmuchsurprisedtofinditwithitsjawsburiedintheorifice，throughwhichthestingisprotrudedbythelivingwasp。Idrovethespiderawaytwoorthreetimes，butforthenexttwenty-fourhoursIalwaysfounditagainsuckingatthesameplace。Thespiderbecamemuchdistendedbythejuicesofitsprey，whichwasmanytimeslargerthanitself。
　　Imayherejustmention，thatIfound，nearSt。FeBajada，manylargeblackspiders，withruby-colouredmarksontheirbacks，havinggregarioushabits。Thewebswereplacedvertically，asisinvariablythecasewiththegenusEpeira：theywereseparatedfromeachotherbyaspaceofabouttwofeet，butwereallattachedtocertaincommonlines，whichwereofgreatlength，andextendedtoallpartsofthecommunity。Inthismannerthetopsofsomelargebusheswereencompassedbytheunitednets。Azara[10]hasdescribedagregariousspiderinParaguay，whichWalckanaerthinksmustbeaTheridion，butprobablyitisanEpeira，andperhapseventhesamespecieswithmine。Icannot，however，recollectseeingacentralnestaslargeasahat，inwhich，duringautumn，whenthespidersdie，Azarasaystheeggsaredeposited。AsallthespiderswhichIsawwereofthesamesize，theymusthavebeennearlyofthesameage。Thisgregarioushabit，insotypicalagenusasEpeira，amonginsects，whicharesobloodthirstyandsolitarythateventhetwosexesattackeachother，isaverysingularfact。
　　InaloftyvalleyoftheCordillera，nearMendoza，Ifoundanotherspiderwithasingularly-formedweb。Stronglinesradiatedinaverticalplanefromacommoncentre，wheretheinsecthaditsstation；butonlytwooftherayswereconnectedbyasymmetricalmesh-work；sothatthenet，insteadofbeing，asisgenerallythecase，circular，consistedofawedge-shapedsegment。Allthewebsweresimilarlyconstructed。[1]Venda，thePortuguesenameforaninn。
　　IhavedescribedandnamedthesespeciesintheAnnalsofNat。Hist。，vol。xiv。p。241。
　　IamgreatlyindebtedtoMr。Waterhouseforhiskindnessinnamingformethisandmanyotherinsects，andgivingmemuchvaluableassistance。
　　Mr。DoubledayhaslatelydescribedbeforetheEntomologicalSociety，March3rd，1845apeculiarstructureinthewingsofthisbutterfly，whichseemstobethemeansofitsmakingitsnoise。
　　Hesays，“Itisremarkableforhavingasortofdrumatthebaseoftheforewings，betweenthecostalnervureandthesubcostal。Thesetwonervures，moreover，haveapeculiarscrew-likediaphragmorvesselintheinterior。”
　　IfindinLangsdorff’stravelsintheyears1803-7，p。74itissaid，thatintheislandofSt。Catherine’sonthecoastofBrazil，abutterflycalledFebruaHoffmanseggi，makesanoise，whenflyingaway，likearattle。
　　Imaymention，asacommoninstanceofoneday’sJune23rdcollecting，whenIwasnotattendingparticularlytotheColeoptera，thatIcaughtsixty-eightspeciesofthatorder。Amongthese，therewereonlytwooftheCarabidae，fourBrachelytra，fifteenRhyncophora，andfourteenoftheChrysomelidae。Thirty-sevenspeciesofArachnidae，whichIbroughthome，willbesufficienttoprovethatIwasnotpayingovermuchattentiontothegenerallyfavouredorderofColeoptera。
　　[8]InaMS。intheBritishMuseumbyMr。Abbott，whomadehisobservationsinGeorgia；seeMr。A。White’spaperinthe“AnnalsofNat。Hist……”vol。vii。p。472。Lieut。HuttonhasdescribedasphexwithsimilarhabitsinIndia，inthe“JournaloftheAsiaticSociety。”vol。
　　[DonFelixAzaravol。i。p。175，mentioningahymenopterousinsect，probablyofthesamegenus，sayshesawitdraggingadeadspiderthroughtallgrass，inastraightlinetoitsnest，whichwasonehundredandsixty-threepacesdistant。Headdsthatthewasp，inordertofindtheroad，everynowandthenmade“demi-toursd’environtroispalmes。”
　　Azara’sVoyage，vol。i。p。213PreviousChapterNextChapterTheVoyageoftheBeagle-Chapter3TheVoyageoftheBeaglebyCharlesDarwinPreviousChapterNextChapterChapter3-MaldonadoJuly5th，1832——Inthemorningwegotunderway，andstoodoutofthesplendidharbourofRiodeJaneiro。InourpassagetothePlata，wesawnothingparticular，exceptingononedayagreatshoalofporpoises，manyhundredsinnumber。Thewholeseawasinplacesfurrowedbythem；
　　andamostextraordinaryspectaclewaspresented，ashundreds，proceedingtogetherbyjumps，inwhichtheirwholebodieswereexposed，thuscutthewater。Whentheshipwasrunningnineknotsanhour，theseanimalscouldcrossandrecrossthebowswiththegreatestofease，andthendashawayrightahead。AssoonasweenteredtheestuaryofthePlata，theweatherwasveryunsettled。Onedarknightweweresurroundedbynumeroussealsandpenguins，whichmadesuchstrangenoises，thattheofficeronwatchreportedhecouldhearthecattlebellowingonshore。Onasecondnightwewitnessedasplendidsceneofnaturalfireworks；themast-headandyard-arm-endsshonewithSt。Elmo’slight；andtheformofthevanecouldalmostbetraced，asifithadbeenrubbedwithphosphorus。Theseawassohighlyluminous，thatthetracksofthepenguinsweremarkedbyafierywake，andthedarknessoftheskywasmomentarilyilluminatedbythemostvividlightning。
　　Whenwithinthemouthoftheriver，Iwasinterestedbyobservinghowslowlythewatersoftheseaandrivermixed。Thelatter，muddyanddiscoloured，fromitslessspecificgravity，floatedonthesurfaceofthesaltwater。
　　Thiswascuriouslyexhibitedinthewakeofthevessel，wherealineofbluewaterwasseenminglinginlittleeddies，withtheadjoiningfluid。
　　July26th——WeanchoredatMonteVideo。TheBeaglewasemployedinsurveyingtheextremesouthernandeasterncoastsofAmerica，southofthePlata，duringthetwosucceedingyears。Topreventuselessrepetitions，Iwillextractthosepartsofmyjournalwhichrefertothesamedistrictswithoutalwaysattendingtotheorderinwhichwevisitedthem。
　　MALDONADOissituatedonthenorthernbankofthePlata，andnotveryfarfromthemouthoftheestuary。Itisamostquiet，forlorn，littletown；built，asisuniversallythecaseinthesecountries，withthestreetsrunningatrightanglestoeachother，andhavinginthemiddlealargeplazaorsquare，which，fromitssize，rendersthescantinessofthepopulationmoreevident。Itpossessesscarcelyanytrade；theexportsbeingconfinedtoafewhidesandlivingcattle。Theinhabitantsarechieflylandowners，togetherwithafewshopkeepersandthenecessarytradesmen，suchasblacksmithsandcarpenters，whodonearlyallthebusinessforacircuitoffiftymilesround。Thetownisseparatedfromtheriverbyabandofsand-hillocks，aboutamilebroad：itissurrounded，onallothersides，byanopenslightly-undulatingcountry，coveredbyoneuniformlayeroffinegreenturf，onwhichcountlessherdsofcattle，sheep，andhorsesgraze。Thereisverylittlelandcultivatedevenclosetothetown。Afewhedges，madeofcactiandagave，markoutwheresomewheatorIndiancornhasbeenplanted。ThefeaturesofthecountryareverysimilaralongthewholenorthernbankofthePlata。Theonlydifferenceis，thatherethegranitichillsarealittlebolder。Thesceneryisveryuninteresting；thereisscarcelyahouse，anenclosedpieceofground，orevenatree，togiveitanairofcheerfulnessYet，afterbeingimprisonedforsometimeinaship，thereisacharmintheunconfinedfeelingofwalkingoverboundlessplainsofturf。Moreover，ifyourviewislimitedtoasmallspace，manyobjectspossessbeauty。Someofthesmallerbirdsarebrilliantlycoloured；andthebrightgreensward，browsedshortbythecattle，isornamentedbydwarfflowers，amongwhichaplant，lookinglikethedaisy，claimedtheplaceofanoldfriend。Whatwouldafloristsaytowholetracts，sothicklycoveredbytheVerbenamelindres，as，evenatadistance，toappearofthemostgaudyscarlet？
　　IstayedtenweeksatMaldonado，inwhichtimeanearlyperfectcollectionoftheanimals，birds，andreptiles，wasprocured。Beforemakinganyobservationsrespectingthem，IwillgiveanaccountofalittleexcursionImadeasfarastheriverPolanco，whichisaboutseventymilesdistant，inanortherlydirection。Imaymention，asaproofhowcheapeverythingisinthiscountry，thatIpaidonlytwodollarsaday，oreightshillings，fortwomen，togetherwithatroopofaboutadozenriding-horses。Mycompanionswerewellarmedwithpistolsandsabres；aprecautionwhichIthoughtratherunnecessarybutthefirstpieceofnewsweheardwas，that，thedaybefore，atravellerfromMonteVideohadbeenfounddeadontheroad，withhisthroatcut。
　　Thishappenedclosetoacross，therecordofaformermurder。
　　Onthefirstnightwesleptataretiredlittlecountry-house；andthereIsoonfoundoutthatIpossessedtwoorthreearticles，especiallyapocketcompass，whichcreatedunboundedastonishment。IneveryhouseIwasaskedtoshowthecompass，andbyitsaid，togetherwithamap，topointoutthedirectionofvariousplaces。ItexcitedtheliveliestadmirationthatI，aperfectstranger，shouldknowtheroadfordirectionandroadaresynonymousinthisopencountrytoplaceswhereIhadneverbeen。Atonehouseayoungwoman，whowasillinbed，senttoentreatmetocomeandshowherthecompass。Iftheirsurprisewasgreat，minewasgreater，tofindsuchignoranceamongpeoplewhopossessedtheirthousandsofcattle，and“estancias“ofgreatextent。Itcanonlybeaccountedforbythecircumstancethatthisretiredpartofthecountryisseldomvisitedbyforeigners。
　　Iwasaskedwhethertheearthorsunmoved；whetheritwashotterorcoldertothenorth；whereSpainwas，andmanyothersuchquestions。ThegreaternumberoftheinhabitantshadanindistinctideathatEngland，London，andNorthAmerica，weredifferentnamesforthesameplace；butthebetterinformedwellknewthatLondonandNorthAmericawereseparatecountriesclosetogether，andthatEnglandwasalargetowninLondon！Icarriedwithmesomeprometheanmatches，whichIignitedbybiting；itwasthoughtsowonderfulthatamanshouldstrikefirewithhisteeth，thatitwasusualtocollectthewholefamilytoseeit：Iwasonceofferedadollarforasingleone。WashingmyfaceinthemorningcausedmuchspeculationatthevillageofLasMinas；asuperiortradesmancloselycross-questionedmeaboutsosingularapractice；andlikewisewhyonboardweworeourbeards；forhehadheardfrommyguidethatwedidso。Heeyedmewithmuchsuspicion；perhapshehadheardofablutionsintheMahomedanreligion，andknowingmetobeaheretick，probablyhecametotheconclusionthatallheretickswereTurks。Itisthegeneralcustominthiscountrytoaskforanight’slodgingatthefirstconvenienthouse。Theastonishmentatthecompass，andmyotherfeatsofjugglery，wastoacertaindegreeadvantageous，aswiththat，andthelongstoriesmyguidestoldofmybreakingstones，knowingvenomousfromharmlesssnakes，collectinginsects，etc。，Irepaidthemfortheirhospitality。IamwritingasifIhadbeenamongtheinhabitantsofcentralAfrica：BandaOrientalwouldnotbeflatteredbythecomparison；
　　butsuchweremyfeelingsatthetime。