1887.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 385 



placed upon the ground. On the opposite side, the legs rested upon 

 the surface. One of the palps was lifted up ; the other touched the 

 earth. Sometimes when slightly alarmed or its attention was 

 attracted by any noise or agitation, all the fore feet, the two pairs 

 on each side, as well as the palps, would be raised from the ground 

 and slightly thrown back. If the alarm or excitement increased 

 the whole fore part of the body would gradually be raised, the legs 

 and palps thrown backward in a curved position, and the mandibles 

 also bent back, slightly separated and ready for striking. In this 

 rampant attitude the body rested upon the two hind pairs of legs 

 which were rather extended, and on the third pair which were 

 slightly bent and pressed firmly against the soil. As they were 

 more or less stiffened and straightened the body would be thrown 

 backward or depressed. This was the position invariably taken by 

 the tarantula when angry, and from this position it would spring 

 forward and strike any object whicli excited its wrath, or which it 

 wished to destroy. 



Having struck out, which was done by bringing down palps, fore 

 paws and fangs together upon the victim, the creature sank back 

 into its rampant position. If so inclined it could rapidly repeat 

 this movement. The whole attitude was an admirable expression 

 of anger and readiness to strike for defence or offence. In the fine 

 muscular exhiliration imj^arted by the creature's passion, the limbs 

 assumed such graceful curves, and the pose of the body showed so 

 happy a combination of vigor and ease, that the formidable spider 

 really looked beautiful. It could stand in this rampant attitude 

 with motionless rigidity for many minutes. 



Among these notes of the general habits of the tarantula I may 

 place the following, also communicated to me by Mr. Holstein. 

 His observation of the tarantulas in Texas convinces him that they 

 are very irritable. They will jump at least ten inches if they are 

 excited thereto by sticks, although they are otherwise not inclined 

 to be troublesome. He has known them to jump almost as high as 

 his horse's knee. In the sandy country along the Colorado River 

 in Texas they are very numerous, and one became so enraged one 

 day as to run up the horse of one of the company as far as the 

 shoulder before it was knocked off. Some Texans say that it is an 

 infallible sign of rain to see these creatures crawling about freely. 



I have myself captured them in Texas without difficulty, but 

 was never able to find anything satisfactory as to their field habits 



