132 Psyche [June 



the size of the fish to that of the surrounding lily leaves is normal. 

 The accompan3dng story of the unique event is too flamhoyant 

 to be very convincing. Comstock (Spider Book, 1912, p. 186), 

 oifers no original observations but adds, "Several apparently well- 

 authenticated instances of the destruction of small vertebrated 

 animals, including birds, a mouse, a fish and a snake, by spiders 

 that are much smaller than the Avicularia are given by McCook. 

 But, of course, all such occurrences are exceptional." I presume 

 that, given conditions such as I have described, small fish may 

 offer an easy and frequent prey for spiders with the habits of Dolo- 

 medes. Otherwise the opportunity to secure such prey cannot be 

 very frequent. The species involved I believe to have been Dolo- 

 medes ienebrosus. 



