ARACHNIDS, C ENTIPEDES, AND MILLIPEDES— ARTHROPODS 203 



each spins a little tuft of web which it throws out into the breeze like a 

 parachute. In this way it is carried a considerable distance. 



Tarantulas are often thought of as being very poisonous, but experi- 

 ences with their bites indicate that they are painful, but not dangerous 

 like the black widows. They are quite large and hairy and are jumping 

 spiders that pounce on their prey which they find in their nocturnal wan- 

 derings. 



Photo bv Winchester 



Fig. 14.3. A tarantula, largest of the spiders. The tarantula does not spin a web, 

 but stalks its prey and pounces on it like a tiger. Their large size and hairy body, 

 together with their quick jumping habit, make them greatly feared by many people, 



but their bite is not serious. 



A scorpion bears a formidable sting on the tip of its long curved 

 "tail" which makes it highly respected by anyone who has been stung 

 by one. Stings may occur frequently when scorpions are around the 

 house because they come out at night in search of food and secrete them- 

 selves in some secluded place in the daytime. The author has found that 

 this is likely to be the inside of a man's trousers and they make their 

 presence suddenly and painfully known when the trousers are put on. 

 In the tropics where they may be very abundant, a person is foolish to 

 put on a shoe without first shaking it out to remove a scorpion that might 



