MR. W. S. MACLEAY ON THE NATURAL HISTORY OF MYGALE. 193 
matical regularity of which may compete with that of the ancient Spiders described by 
Ablian as Evxdcidou Séovra ovdév. Now it is certainly possible that the net of this Ne- 
phila should, in accord with Labat’s account, accidentally arrest such small birds as are 
several species of Trochilide'; but I do not believe that the Spider would touch them. 
My garden, I repeat, is full of these Nephile in autumn, and I have tried to regale one 
of them with a small species of Spheriodactylus?, by putting it into her net. The 
Spider, on feeling the threads vibrate with the struggles of the Lizard, instantly ap- 
proached and enveloped it in her web. As soon, however, as it was thus disabled, my 
Nephila seemed to become aware of her mistake, and losing no time in cutting the 
lines, allowed her prisoner to fall to the ground. 
Thus, then, have I proved that the Mygale avicularia does not catch birds, any more 
than another Spider, celebrated in one of our philosophical journals a few years back, 
could ever have lived on arsenic or corrosive sublimate ; 1 forget, indeed, what mineral 
was most easy of digestion: and although undoubtedly there be more things on earth 
than are dreamt of by our philosophy, I will even go so far as to add my utter dis- 
belief in the existence of any bird-catching Spider. I am fully sensible that such a 
vermin, so interestingly disgusting, forms a treasure too valuable in the eyes of mere 
adepts in the free use of scissors and paste, for me to be able to dislodge it from their 
affections, when Langsdorff had already failed to break the charm; but however popu- 
larly pretty it may be thus occasionally to wander off into “ fancy’s maze,” the dull, 
dry, and unromantic naturalist must positively stick to the stubborn truth. 
‘ Particularly Orthorhynchus minimus, a species, by the way, that I have never seen in the Island of Cuba, 
although I believe it occurs in Jamaica. The only two species of Humming-bird I have seen in the vicinity 
of the Havana, are the Trochilus pectoralis and Troch. Colubris of Dr. Latham, now, I believe, assigned to di- 
stinct genera. The former remains all the year round, while the latter appears only in winter. Both are strong 
enough to burst three such nets as those of Nephila clavipes, and in fact Trochilus pectoralis may be seen at 
times to peck small flies out of them. 
* This Lizard clearly belongs to the family Geckotide of Mr. Gray ; and as it has the tail round, the toes 5—5, 
free, and dilated at their extremity, with the nail placed in a groove, I have little hesitation in referring it to the 
genus Spheriodactylus of Cuvier. There are two or three species very common in Cuba in houses, where they 
occur among books, or wherever they can find shelter. They have bright eyes, are pretty, and very harmless, 
and come out of their corners in rainy weather, declaring war against everything in the shape of a Fly or Mus- 
quitoe. The following are the descriptions of the most common. 
1. Spheriodactylus cinereus. Sphzr. caudd corporis longitudine, totus cinereus, translucidus capite flaviori ; 
apice roseo, squamis dorsalibus punctis minutissimis nigris aspersis. 
Long. tot. 23 unc. 
N.B. This may possibly be the Small House-lizard of Browne’s Jamaica. 
2. Spheriodactylus elegans. Spher. fasciis dorsalibus transversis nigris 14, capite ccerulco-cinereo subtis 
nigro-fasciato, dorso subviridi, caud4 rubra corpore breyiori, ventre cinereo. 
Long. tot. 14 unc. 
N.B. There are nine of the black bands between the eyes and the tail, which near the root has three, but 
towards the tip has none, and is of a subtranslucid red colour. 
