50 



"At Cameta," he relates, " I chanced to verify a fact relating to the habits of a large 

 hairy spider of the genus Mygale, in a manner worth recording. The individual was 

 nearly two inches in length of body, but the legs expanded seven inches, and the entire 

 body and legs were covered with coarse grey and reddish hairs. I was attracted by a 

 movement of the monster on a tree-trunk, it was close beneath a deep crevice in the tree, 

 across which was stretched a dense white web. The lower part of tlie web was broken, 

 and two small birds, finches, were entangled in the pieces. One of them was quite dead, 

 the other lay under the body of the spider not quite dead, and was smeared with the filthy 

 liquor or saliva exuded by the monster. I drove away the spider and took the birds, 

 but the second one soon died. I found the circumstance to be quite a novelty to the 

 residents hereabouts. The Mygales are quite common insects ; some species make their 

 cells under stones, others form artistic tunnels in the earth, and some build their dens in 

 tlae thatch of houses. The natives call them crab spiders. The hairs with which they are 

 clothed come off when touched and cause a peculiar and almost maddening irritation. 

 Some Mygales are of immense size. One day I saw the children belonging to an Indian 

 family who collected for me, with one of these monsters secured by a cord around its waist, 

 by which they were leading it about the house as they would a dog !" 



Other writers relate that the spiders of this family attack humming-birds, lizards, 

 cockroaches, ants, etj. 



The Dysderidcp constitute a small family of spiders which are 

 chiefly remarkable for possessing only six eyes, instead of the normal 

 number of eight. Tliey are usually found under stones or in holes 

 in the earth ; they lie with their legs drawn up under them, hvX ■ 

 are able to move very quickly when so inclined. Very few species are 

 known and none are common in America ; a few have been observt d 

 in Europe. 



The family of the Drassidoi is spread over the greater part of the 

 world ; they vary very much in shape, colour and habits. Most of 

 them are dull coloured, Avhile they all have the habit of concealing 

 themselves in silken cells that they construct under stones, in chinls'S 

 of walls, or on plants. They are active creatures, and catch their 

 prey by chasing them, as they construct no webs. Figure 13 represents 

 a species of Drassus ; the double row of circles above i-epresents 

 the mode in which the eight eyes are arranged on the front of the 

 pj„ i;^ head. Their feet have two claws and a bunch of flat hairs : the spin- 



nerets usually project a little beyond the abdomen. 



The Agalenidre are long- 

 legged, brow7i spiders, with tv>-o 

 spinnerets longer than tiie 

 others and extending out be- 

 hind the body. Figure 14 re- 

 presents Agalena iiosvia, the 

 common grass spider. The 

 members of this family are very 

 numerous on grass-fields and 

 commons, where they made flat 

 webs with a funnel-shaped tube 

 p. ^^^ on one side in which the spider 



waits, see figure 2.3. Many of the species are prettily marked ; they lay their eggs in dish- 

 shaped cocoons, which are attached to grass or other herbage, and are usually covered with 

 little bits of dead leaves, pieces of earth and other substances in order to conceal them 

 from enemies. 



The next family, Cinijlonidce, much resemble the preceding, but are distinguished by 

 their peculiar spinning organs. They live in crevices in rocks, walls and stones, or 

 under loose bark, and near their hiding-place they weave nets of a most elaborate 

 structure, not flat like garden-spiders but enclosing large spaces in comparison with the 

 small size of the builder. The web is most intricate in its arrangements, and is connected 



