( xlviii ) 



I do not know if I am entertaining an Utopian idea, but it seems 

 to me that some day the silk of the large Araneida will be 

 utilised. I am now actively occupied with the study of this 

 subject, which is most interesting. If you wish it, I will send 

 you fertile ova of 'Halabe,' which, I am almost certain, will 

 reach you in good condition." 



Mons. Wailly said, that having written to the Eev. P. 

 Camboue that he should be pleased to try the rearing of the 

 'Halabe,' and having suggested that its rearing might also be 

 tried, with a better chance of success, in the Insect-house of the 

 Zoological Gardens, he received on the 5th of October four 

 nests of eggs, two of which he took to the Zoological Gardens. 



In the next letter, dated August 25th, which accompanied 

 the box containing the nests of eggs, the Eev. P. Camboue 

 said : — " The eggs will perhaps reach you after the hatching 

 of the young spiders on the way, but, even then, I hope many 

 of these young ' Halabe ' will still be full of vigour on the 

 receipt of the parcel. Do not be uneasy about the food" (I had 

 expressed great fears respecting the success of the under- 

 taking on account of the food-supply). " If live preys fail, 

 give them pieces of raw meat, or else, as long as the 'Halabe' 

 are small, sprinkle the webs with water strongly impregnated 

 with 'bacteries.'' If you prefer it, give them nothing at all. 

 The 'Halabe,' having no other food, will eat one another! 

 In the struggle for existence, the strongest or the most 

 audacious will devour the weakest or the most timid. The 

 'Halabe' bears a rather low temperature. It resists our 

 climate on the central hills of the island, where the tempera- 

 ture falls to +8'^ Cent., = 46-1° Fahr., and even lower." 



Mons. Wailly stated that one of his colleagues of the 

 " Societe d'Acclimatation de France," Mons. J. Fallou, tried to 

 rear and acclimatise the Halabe at Champrosay (Seine et 

 Oise) in 1887, but his attempts ended in complete failure. 

 The young spiders were placed in a "bocal," the top of which 

 was covered with a piece of finely-perforated metallic sheet 

 to give air. The food given to the spiders consisted of 

 Aphides, Micro-Lepidoptera, flies, various species of larvae, 

 and earth-worms ; but, seeing the little animals had no taste 

 for any of these delicacies, he made researches in various 



