ARACHNIDA : PED1PALPI. 



457 



pierce him, distilling into the wound a prompt and fatal 

 poison. Should the victim be too large or too powerful 

 for the spider, the latter retires till the former becomes 

 more entangled and exhausted. But as soon as practica- 

 ble, the spider binds his victim firmly with silken bands, 

 and proceeds to feast upon it. The females enclose their 

 eggs in sacs made of the same kind of silk as that of which 

 they make their webs. Some species tear open the egg- 

 sac when the young are ready to hatch ; others carry 

 their egg-sacs under their abdomen, or stay near to watch 

 them. The bite of an ordinary spider will kill a fly in a 

 few minutes ; the bite of some of the large kinds in South 

 America kills humming-birds ; and that of the larger spe- 

 cies is poisonous to man, and in some cases fatal. Our 

 numerous species are well described by Hentz. 



PEDIPALPI, Latr., OR SCORPION FAMILY. This Family 

 comprises pulmonary arach- 

 nida which have a long body, 

 terminated by a long tail end- 

 ing in an arcuated point or 

 sting, which discharges a ven- 

 omous fluid contained in an 

 internal reservoir ; they have 

 the palpi very large, with for- 

 ceps at the extremity. Scor- 

 pions inhabit warm countries 

 of both hemispheres, live on 

 the ground under rubbish, 

 among ruins, and sometimes 

 in houses. They run quite 

 rapidly, curving the tail over 

 the back ; and they can throw 

 the tail in any direction, and 

 use it both for attack and de- 

 fence. 



Fig- 357- 



Scorpion, Buthus spintgerus, Wood; 

 Texas. 



