274 



Dr. Vinson in " de Flacourt's History of the Great Island of Madagas- 

 car " concerning the danger of the bite of this spider, and adds his per- 

 sonal experience, which we may freely translate as follows : 



I was very desirous of falling iu with this terrible spider when, on February 27, 

 1885, one of our little day scholars of the College of Tamatave brought me a specimen 

 which he had found, so he told me, under a barrel. The child, never doubting the 

 effect attributed to the bite of the spider, had taken it simply in his hand, carried it 

 home and put it iu a bottle and had not been injured in the least. I noticed that in 

 this specimen one of the points on the upper surface of the abdomen was red. Hav- 

 ing by mistake thrown the spider into alcohol I quickly drew it out again and hap- 

 pily it was still living. Next day it changed its skin and after the molt the spots on 

 the upper side of the abdomen were four in number. The first and third white and 

 the second and fourth red. It died soon after the molt. 



The 23d of April following the same scholar brought me two more living females 

 of the Menavody. I put them into ajar and was able to continue my observations. 

 On the 24th one of the spiders laid her eggs iu a little spherical mass, protected by 

 the white or slightly brownish spheroid cocoon, about a centimeter in diameter, and 

 suspended by a slight web of whitish silk. I had noticed that in this individual the 

 series of spots on the middle of the abdomen did not exist, but were replaced by four 

 depressions, placed in the form of a trapezium, and of the same color as the abdo- 

 men. The spider in repose remained below the web iu the cocoon. Two little grass- 

 hoppers and the other spider were captured in its web and became its prey. It did 

 not devour the substance of its victims, but left their outer skin intact. On the 27th 

 a large living beetle was given to the Menavody ; it was three times as big as the 

 spider and vigorously defended itself. The Menavody displayed all of its means of 

 offense. As it spun its thread it gave out a whitish viscous liquid, which did, it 

 seemed, not a little to help it capture its prey. The beetle died only after a consid- 

 erable time. On the 29th the spider laid its eggs for the second time. Its cocoon 

 was like the former one. It rested between the two cocoons. 



On the 4th of May another cocoon was produced. It then died, and on the 9th I 

 found it at the bottom of the jar. 



On the 27th of the same month of May, 1885, on lifting the bark of a large tree, I 

 found several cocoons of the Menavody. The eggs from one of these cocoons hatched 

 on June 12. On leaving the eggs the young are of a pale reddish color and the legs 

 are brown. Fifteen days afterwards, on the approach of the first molt, this reddish 

 tint grows darker, particularly on the abdomen. After the first molt, which takes 

 place July 1, the'spiders' bodies and the abdomen appear brownish. About the 20th 

 of July a second molt took place. The young spiders killed each other, and there 

 soon remained but two specimens in the jar, the male and the female. Wise dispo- 

 sition of the providence of the Creator and the Ruler of the Universe who thus pre- 

 vents these venomous insects from multiplying without measure! 



August 3, third molt. The red color of the triangular spot becomes more accent- 

 uated. The band upon the abdomen is of a slightly reddish white, the six lateral 

 dots are white, those upon the middle of the back are four in number, three reddish 

 white and the fourth white. The cephalothorax, abdomen, and legs have become of 

 a darker color. 



Upon the 7th I noticed that the male has become the prey of the female, who hag 

 killed him and enveloped him with her web. I continued my observations upon the 

 latter. 



August 15, fourth molt ; 27, fifth molt. August 31, for the first time, I observed that 

 she cleaned her nest and removed all the bodies of the prey. 



September 15, sixth molt ; September 26 two of the red spots in the middle of the 

 abdomen, 3 and 4, disappeared. 



October 11 she died. 



