Note 1133 — ORDER XII. ARACHNIDA.1083
Reading edition
Biogr. Univers., tome xxxiii. See also Arvine’s Anecdotes, p. 402.
To this account, in the Hist. of Insects printed by John Murray, 1830, i. 269, is added: “The governor of the Bastile hearing that this unfortunate prisoner had found a solace in the society of a Spider, paid Pelisson a visit, desiring to see the manœuvres of the insect. The Basque struck up his notes, the Spider instantly came to be fed by his friend; but the moment it appeared on the floor of the cell, the governor placed his foot on its body, and crushed it to death.”