BECEEATIVE SCIENCE. 



217 



THE COMMON HOUSE-SPIDEE. 



{Tegenaria domestica.) 



" What can there be interesting in tkat com- 

 monplace, repulsive, little creature, which 

 infests our houses, annoys us by its presence, 

 and shocks our sense of decency with its 



Fig. 1. — The Female House-Spider (Tegenaria domes- 

 tica), as seen with a Stanhope lens, a a, eyes; 

 b h, mandibles ; c c, maxillary palpi. 



filthy webs ? — in that cruel little monster, 

 whose whole life is employed in weaving 

 snares to entrap unwary flies, lying in wait 

 for them in dark, damp corners of crevices, 

 murdering them remorselessly when they are 

 caught in its toils, and then sucking their 

 life's-blood? The house-spider, indeed ! Why, 

 we sweep it from the very face of Nature 

 wherever we find it, together with its cham- 

 ber of horrors ; and it must indeed be some 

 strong temptation that would induce one to 

 defile one's hands by contact with a creature 

 the very idea of which suffices to inspire 

 terror and disgust." 



Thanks, reader, for your concise preface, 

 and for such an accurate popular estimate 

 of one of the most wonderful of God's crea- 

 tures, formed for the attainment of wise and 

 Voi, I.— No. 7, 



useful ends, and perfectly adapted to the 

 office it is destined to fulfil. Endeavour to 

 overcome your repugnance for a while, and 

 let us introduce you to this little creature 

 that inspires you with such disagreeable sen- 

 sations ; accompany us, first, in a brief exami- 

 nation of its remarkable structure, and then 

 you may, if you think proper, continue your 

 reflections undisturbed by any of our obser- 

 vations. 



But you may, perhaps, not possess a Stan- 

 hope lens ; we must therefore provide you 

 with one, as well as with the living object to 

 be considered. And see ! here we are already 

 face to face with our terrible spider! (Fig. 1.) 

 You see it can return your wondering gazo 

 fourfold, for it possesses eight eyes (Fig. 1, 

 a a) ; simple indeed in their structure, and 

 incapable of motion, but disposed in two rows 

 on the top of its head, and so directed 

 and arranged that they enable the creature 

 to espy its prey from whatever quarter 

 it may approach the web (Fig. 2). And 



Fio. 2. — Enlarged View of Anterior Portion of Cephalo- 

 thorax, bearing the eight eyes, and hairs, a, one of- 

 the hairs magnified. 



woe to the poor victim when once en- 

 snared in the toils ; for the terrible spider 

 immediately rushes on its prey, and brings 

 sitch an array of weapons to Dear against its 

 unprotected body, as to render escape next to 

 impossible. There is, perhaps, not another 

 living creature so fearfully armed as the 



