82 Captain T. Hutton^s observations on Galeodes vorax. 



they were also sometimes of large size. One of these I kept for 

 some time in a vessel, the bottom of which was well supplied with 

 earth, which had been purposely hardened by pouring water on 

 it and then allowing it to diy. 



The Galeodes soon began to dig a hole, and in a very short 

 time succeeded in making itself a subterranean retreat, in which 

 it usually resided, seldom coming forth beyond the mouth of its 

 den. It proceeded to dig out the earth at first with its strong 

 jaws, cutting it away in a circle, and having thus loosened the 

 soil, it gathered it together into a heap with its anterior palpi and 

 threw it out behind, as a dog does in scratching a hole. When 

 it had by this means succeeded in excavating a hole sufficiently 

 large for it to enter, instead of throwing out the loose earth as at 

 first, it gathered a quantity together, and surrounding or em- 

 bracing it with the anterior palpi, shoved the load by main force 

 before it up the mouth of the cave, and then returned for more. 

 Having completed its task, it remained for a few days stationary 

 and refused to feed, although previously it would devour several 

 insects at a meal, and even small house lizards. I now perceived 

 that it was a female, the ova being distinctly visible through the 

 skin of the abdomen, which was much distended. 



The ova were deposited in the cave, to the number of more than 

 fifty, the parent remaining motionless amidst them. In the 

 course of a fortnight, these, which were of the size of a largish 

 mustard-seed, and of whitish hue, were all hatched. 



The young are at first motionless, and appear devoid of ani- 

 mation until the period of three weeks has elapsed, at which time 

 they cast the first skin. Their colour, which up to this time was 

 pure milky white, now gave place to a faint tinge of pale brown, 

 and the jaws and palpi became deep brown. 



The young ones now threw off" then lethargy and began to move 

 about, and occasionally sallied forth from the den, but instantly 

 retreated on the slightest appearance of danger. All this time, 

 however, they took, apparently, no food whatever, and yet they 

 continued to grow both in size and activity. 



It was indeed very interesting to watch the motions of the pa- 

 rent at this season. From the general bad and ferocious character 

 which the spider tribe bears, I fully expected to see the parent, 

 at the first craving of appetite, commence an attack upon her own 

 family and devour them ; but the all-wise Creator has endowed 

 even this ferocious spider with that most powerful feeling — ma- 

 ternal love ; and thus is the Galeodes, the very tiger of the insect 

 world, subdued at this period into the anxious and tender mother. 

 Placing herself in front of the aperture of the cave, she seized and 

 examined between her anterior palpi everything that entered. I 

 tried repeatedly to arouse her anger by thrusting in straws, 



