Spiders and Their Near Relatives 



Pocock ('98) states that the females excavate subterranean 

 burrows for the protection of themselves and their young. The 

 process has been observed in the case of an Indian species. Choos- 

 ing a suitable spot, the female proceeded to cut away the earth 

 in a circle with her chelicerae, then kicked away the loosened 

 fragments with her legs, or scraping them together into a heap 

 with the pedipalps, pushed the pile by main force from the en- 

 trance of the burrow. At its opposite end, the eggs, about fifty 

 in number and resembling a mustard seed in size and shape, 

 were laid; they hatched about a fortnight afterward. For 

 three weeks the young showed no sign of movement. They then 

 moulted for the first time and started to crawl about on their 

 own account, little copies in miniature of their mother, who 

 mounted guard at the entrance and resolutely repelled all intru- 

 ders, snapping without hesitation at every object thrust into the 

 burrow. 



The solpugids are exceedingly agile; on this account they 

 have been called wind-scorpions, a name translated from the 

 Arabic. One observer compares them to a piece of thistledown 

 driven before the wind. "Often when going at full speed, in 

 search for food, they will stop abruptly and begin hunting and 

 feeling around a small spot, irresistibly calling to mind the be- 

 haviour of a dog checked in mid-course by the scent of game. 

 (Pocock, 98.) 



The Indian species referred to above is an expert climber, 

 and has been seen to ascend trees to some height above the 

 ground in search of prey. And it is also stated that in Egypt 

 it is no uncommon thing to see Galeodes arabs climbing on to a 

 table to get at the flies. To capture such quick and wary insects 

 the solpugid adopts the tactics of the hunting-spider; instead of 

 making a furious dart, as it would if the prey in sight were a beetle, 

 it proceeds to stalk the flies in the most wary fashion, creeping 

 toward them with such slowness and stealth that the movements 

 of the legs are almost imperceptible, yet all the while drawing 

 gradually nearer and nearer; then like a flash of light the inter- 

 vening space is traversed, and the insect struck down and cap- 

 tured. (Mr. A. Carter quoted by Mr. Pocock 98.) 



The solpugids are commonly believed to be venomous; but 

 those who have studied them most carefully do not think that 

 this is so. No poison glands have been found, and observers 



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