362 Ohstrvations on Madame Mcfian^it 



is used with fish, turtle, and other dishes, and also makes 

 delicious lemonade. 



Plate 18. may serve for an entomological caricature exhi- 

 bited on the branch of a guava tree [Psidium]. The large 

 spiders are the well-known giant ^ranea avicularia Fabr, 63. 

 I disbelieve the existence of an egg-shaped cocoon-like //«- 

 bitaculum, into which they are said to retreat. The only web 

 I have seen them weave in captivity is loose, of snowy white- 

 ness and moderate strength. Doubtless this species is strong 

 enough to overcome small birds, if it could seize them ; for the 

 prominent horny mandibles resemble in size and solidity the 

 talons of a hawk.* The spider on the left is the Arknea. 

 venatoria Fabr. 7. ; the Thomisus venatorius Lat7\ Madame 

 Merian has given it credit for ingenuity which it does not 

 possess. It spins no shrouds or ladders ; and weaves nothing 

 but the flat circular egg-purse (t/ieca), which is carried under 

 the breast, supported by the palpi only, and not aggluti- 

 nated, as in some spiders, to the belly; or deserted, as by 

 others. It runs about houses in the night-time, frequents the 

 same spots, and murders the all-consuming [see V. 481.], bold, 

 and buzzing cockroaches. It is never destroyed by the negroes ; 

 who say, if killed, it w^ould cause them to break cups and 

 glasses. Thus an absurd superstition serves to protect a 

 useful creature ; which, though of threatening aspect, is timid 



[* The story of a spider which catches and devours birds had-, Mr. 

 MacLeay believes, its origin with Madame Merian. Oviedo, Labat, and 

 Rochefort make no mention of any spider as possessing such habits, the 

 two latter writers going no farther than the statement, that in the Ber- 

 mudas there exists one which makes nets of so strong a construction as to 

 entangle small birds. Madame Merian, however, went the length of as- 

 serting that one spider not only caught, but devoured, small birds ; and 

 figured the iliygale avicularia WalcJcenaery in the act of preying on a hum- 

 ming-bird. Now the ilfygale does not spin a net, but resides in tubes 

 under ground, and in all its movements keeps close to the earth ; while 

 humming-birds never perch except on branches. The food of ikfygale 

 consists of Juli, Porcelliones, subterranean ^chetae, and ^lattae : a liv- 

 ing humming-bird, and a small Anolis, placed in one of its tubes, were not 

 only not eaten by the spider, but the latter actually quitted its hole, which 

 it left in possession of the intruders. The largest spider of the West 

 Indies that spins a geometrical web is the Nephila clavipes Leach ; and 

 its net may, perhaps, occasionally, be strong enough to arrest the smaller 

 among the humming-birds : but it is not likely that the spider would eat 

 the birds. A small species of Sphasriodactylus Cuvier [a lizard], intro- 

 duced into one of these nets, was enveloped in the usual manner by the 

 spider ; but as soon as the operation was completed, the spider lost no 

 time in cutting the line, and allowing her prisoner to fall to the ground. — 

 Mr. MacLeay consequently disbelieves the existence of any bird-catching 

 spider. (^Froman abstract of a communication made by Mr. MacLeay to the 

 Zoological Society y and read on Feb. 11. 1834. The abstract is published in 

 Taylor's Phil. Mag. for June, 1834. vol. iv. p. 460—462. Third Series.)] 



