152 A NATURAL HISTORY 



and yet In that moil agreeable Region, this little Tyrant reigr^s 

 and ipreads Terror. 



It's found in other Parts of //^/y, and even in the Ifle of Cor- 

 fica-, but thofe oi Apulia^ 'tis faid, are only dangerous 5 though I 

 think to have read fomething like it in Perfia^ where there is an 

 Infed: like a Spider, about two Inches round, which the Holjlem 

 AmbalTadors fnppofe to be the Latin Stellio, and the Italian Ta- 

 rantula: It lets its Poifon fall like a drop of Water, which cauies 

 an infupportable Pain in that Part .... immediately caufes a pro- 

 found Sleep, from which the Patient is not to be recovered, but 

 by crufhing one of the fame Creatures upon the Wound j or, if 

 this can't be had, by pouring as much Milk down his Throat as 

 they can, and then put him on an Engine, which they turn 

 round with great Violence, till by that violent Agitation, his Sto- 

 mach difcharges the Milk, which appears greenilli, becaufe of 

 the Poifon. Thofe who are cured thus, have fome Remnant of 

 the Pain once a Year, about the fame Seafon *. 



B u T to return to Italy ; 'tis obfervable, that it hurts no where 

 but in Apulia^ and that only in Summer, efpecially in the Cani- 

 fiilar-Dciys, fo called from Canicida, that fignifies a Dog ; hence 

 Dog-Star^ which rifes cofmically with the Sun the 19th of July^ 

 and is fuppofed to be the brighteft, as well as the largeft Star in 

 the Firmament. 



The Dog-Days denote certain Days before and after the Rifing 

 of this Star, to whofe Appearance the Ancients afcrib'd terrible 

 EfFe(!?l:sj the very firftDay it appears, they fay (but without Rea- 

 fon) the Sea becomes boifterous and boils like a Cauldron, pro- 

 duces Variety of Diftempers, fours Wine, and Dogs grow mad. 

 .... The Romans^ dreading the Indignation of this Star, facrificed 

 a Dog every Year to it, [viz. at its firfl Appearance in our Hemi- 

 Iphere) to appeafe its Rage againfl: Mortals. 



I N Winter, this Italian Spider lurks in Caverns, and folitary 

 Places; and if it happens to bite, hurts not : There it lives in a 

 drowfy Pofture, and keeps Lejit till Summer ; when the whole 

 Tribe creeps out, and difperfe themfelves over that pleafant Land -, 

 and Wo to the Body afleep, and bare Legs, in Corn-Fields. 



Those on the Plains are much to be feared, the Air being 

 hotter there than on the Mountains, where their Bite is not dan- 



Voyages and Travels of the Ambajf. of Freder. Duke of Holftein. 



geroue. 



