654 ARANEINA. 



loose, horizontal web, at one extremity of which was situated 

 her follicle, or egg-bag, covered with young. The parent ap- 

 peared watching them at some distance.' This spider can 

 dive and stay a considerable time under water, to aA'oid its 

 enemies. It was found in March, in Alabama, under stones 

 near a stream of water." It ranges northwards to Massachu- 

 setts. 



The Tarantula belongs to the genus Ljjcosa, which comprises 

 large stout hairy spiders, with large cheliceres and moderately 

 sized fangs, with the fourth pair of feet the longest and the 

 tliird pair shortest. The species make no web, Avandcring for 

 their prey, and hiding under stones. They frequently make 

 holes in the ground in which they dwell, spinning at the orifice 

 a ring of silk which forms a consolidated entrance like a trap 

 door. The cocoon is usually orbicular, and is often carried 

 about by the mother, while the young are borne about on the 

 back of her abdomen. (Ilentz.) L. tarantula Linn, is the cele- 

 brated Tarantula of Italy and Spain. Its bite is commonly 

 supposed to produce the effects termed "tarantism," but Dr. 

 Beigsoe has proved that tarantism is rarely due to the bite of 

 the tarantula, which is comparatively harmless. 



The Lycosa fatifera of Ilentz is said by him to be bluish 

 black, with the cephalothorax deeper in color at the sides ; the 

 cheliceres are covered with rufous hairs, and have a red eleva- 

 tion on their outer side near their base. It is one of the largest 

 species of the genus. "This formidable species dwells in 

 holes, ten or twelve inches in depth, in light soil, which it digs 

 itself; for the cavity is alwa3^s proportionate to the size of the 

 spider. The orifice of the hole has a ring made chiefly of silk, 

 which prevents the soil from falling in when it rains. This 

 Lycosa, probably as large as the Tarantula of the south of 

 Europe, is common in Massachusetts, but we have not heaivl 

 of serious accidents produced by its bite. Its poison, how- 

 ever, must be of the same nature and as virulent." (Hentz.) 



In the leaping spiders, SnJticus, the cephalothorax is usually 

 large, square, and the abdomen is oval c^dindrical. Ilentz 

 says that they wander after their prey, making no web, but 

 concealing themselves in a silken valve, for the purpose of 

 casting their skin, or for hibernation. The Salticus (Attus) 



