56 RIO DE JANEIRO. [ckap. n. 



piisf'd at not immediately finding its victim. It then commenced 

 as rearular a hunt as ever liound did after fox ; makinj^- short 

 semicircular casts, and all the time rapidly vibrating its wings 

 and antennae. The spider, though well concealed, was soon ais- 

 covered ; and the wasp, evidently still afraid of its adversary's 

 jaws, after much manoeuvring, inflicted two stings on the under 

 side of its thorax. At last, carefully examining with its antennae 

 the now motionless spider, it proceeded to drag away the body. 

 But I stopped both tyrant and prey.* 



The number of spiders, in proportion to other insects, is here 

 compared with England very much larger ; perhaps more so 

 than v.'ith any other division of the articulate animals. The 

 variety of species among the jumping spiders appears almost 

 infinite. The genus, or rather family of Epeira, is here charac- 

 terized by many singular forms ; some species have pointed coria- 

 ceous shells, others enlarged and spiny tibiae. Every path in the 

 forest is barricaded with the strong yellow web of a Fpecies, 

 belonging to the same division with the Epeira clavipes of Fa- 

 bricius, which was formerly said by Sloane to make, in the West 

 Indies, webs so strong as to catch birds. A small and pretty 

 kind of spider, with very long fore-legs, and which appears to 

 belong to an undescribed genus, lives as a parasite on almost 

 every one of these webs. I suppose it is too insignificant to be 

 noticed by the great Epeira, and is therefore allowed to prey on 

 the minute insects, which, adhering to the lines, would, otherwise 

 be wasted. "When frightened, this little spider either feigns 

 death by extending its front legs, or suddenly drops from the 

 web. A large Epeira of the same division witli Epeira tubercii- 

 lata and conica is extremely common, especially in dry situations. 

 Its web, which is generally placed among the great leaves of the 

 common agave, is sometimes strengthened near the centre by a 

 pair or even four zigzag ribbons, which connect two adjoining 

 rays. When any large insect, as a grasshopper or wasp, is 

 caught, the spider, by a dexterous movement, makes it revolve 

 very rapidly, and at the same time emitting a band of threads 



* Don Felix Azara (vol. i., p. 175), mentioning a hymenopterons insect, 

 pr")hal)iy of the same genus, says, he saw it dragging a dead spider through 

 tall grass, in a straight line to its nest, which was one hundred and sixty- 

 three paces distant. He adds that tlie wasp, in order to find the road, every 

 now and then made " demi-tours d'cnviron trois palnies." 



