XIV TARANTULA 361 
therefore, that the venom is under the control of the animal’s 
will, and is economised when the simple wound is sufficient for 
the purpose—a supposition which may partially explain the 
very divergent opinions held with regard to the effect of the 
spider’s bite. The reputation of the “Tarantula” Spider is well 
known, but what particular species, if any, was intended by the 
name is quite uncertain. The name is derived from the town 
Tarentum, and was certainly applied to a Lycosid spider. Pro- 
bably the common south European species, Lycosa narbonensis, 
has as good a claim to the honour as any. The confusion has 
been increased by extending the name to spiders of quite a 
different family. Hurypelma hentzii, one of the Avicularidae, is 
commonly known as the Tarantula in America. 
The superstition of the tarantula dance is well known. The 
bite of the spider was supposed to induce a species of madness 
which found its expression—and its cure—ain frantic and extrava- 
gant contortions of the body. If the dance was not sufficiently 
frenzied, death ensued. In the case of survivors, the symptoms 
were said to recur on the anniversary of the bite. Particular 
descriptions of music were supposed to incite the patient to the 
excessive exertion necessary for his relief; hence the “ Tarantella.” 
In the Middle Ages epidemics of “ tarantism ” were of frequent 
occurrence, and spread with alarming rapidity. They were 
seizures of an hysterical character, analogous to the ancient 
Bacchie dances, and quite unconnected with the venom of the 
spider from which they took their name. The condition of 
exaltation and frenzy was contagious, and would run through 
whole districts, with its subsequent relapse to a state of utter 
prostration and exhaustion. The evil reputation of the Tarantula 
appears to have exceedingly little basis in fact. 
Baglivi relates how the country people capture the Tarantula 
by imitating the buzzing of an insect at the mouth of its hole. 
“(Quo audito, ferox exit Tarentula ut muscas, quorum murmur 
esse putat, captet ; captatur tamen a rustico insidiatore.” 
Fabre! acted the part of the “insidious rustic” with slight 
success; but by other stratagems he enticed the creatures from 
their holes, and made some interesting observations upon the 
effects of their bite. He found that bees and wasps were instan- 
taneously killed by them. This immediately fatal effect he 
1 Fabre, Nowveaux souvenirs entomologiques, ch. xi. 
