6o2 HISTORY OF PASADKNA. 



white and sometimes of a streaky green color — possibly mere variations of 

 sex or season. The largest kind have been found even eight inches in 

 length. There is no evidence that their bite is poisonous, but they have 

 forcep jaws and can inflict quite a severe wound — and the very thought of 

 being bitten by such a disgusting looking creature is enough to make one 

 feel poison-shivers all over him and grow sick at the stomach. 



Another of our famous insects is the tarantula ; and of this singular 

 creature Miss Monks, who was at one time the foremost entomologist of Los 

 Angeles county, said in the Historical Society's publications for 1886 : 



" The Tarantula {Mygale Hentzii') is large — when extended it often 

 covers the space of four or more inches ; it is very hairy, black or dark 

 brown in color, with sometimes an ashy tinge, and has long legs, which in- 

 dicate a wanderer. 



"The Trap-door spider {Cteniza Californica) is only half as large, is 

 downy, pale brown, and has short legs. There is the greatest possible dif- 

 ference of opinion in regard to the tube-building habit of the two species. 

 I have never found a tarantula in a nest with a trap-door, nor a trap-door 

 spider in one with an open mouth. I have put My gales of both sexes in 

 jars of earth, and they would never attempt to build tubes. They pull bits 

 of earth together and spin a little silk, then stop — seemingly satisfied with 

 the result of their labor. On the other hand, Ctenizas invariably go to work 

 the first night and dig a tube, and generally add the door the second night." 



The males of these two species will always fight till one or the other is 

 killed, and most commonly both die in the struggle. As late as 1883 it was 

 considered "sport" in lyos Angeles to put some dirt in the bottom of an 

 empty gold-fish jar, then put in a pair of these belligerent insects, and make 

 bets as to which one would ' ' whip. ' ' I witnessed this several times in store 

 windows on Main street ; and on one occasion I saw the larger one of the 

 two spiders fighting away after its entrails were torn out and dragging under 

 its feet. But I believe Pasadena never got quite so low down for "sport" 

 as this. The Pasadena Star of October 19, 1892, said : 



" Two of our Lake Avenue citizens have just returned from a four days' 

 tour in the country hunting for specimen tarantulas. They secured over 400 

 specimens, most of them large size, and all of them females." 



Van Dyke says of these insects : 



' ' The largest are nearly two and one-half inches long by one and one- 

 half wide, with long, thick, curved legs, and body low hung so that the 

 curved part of the legs is above the back. It looks like an immense spider. 

 The body is covered with short hairs. -< * * They have two black 

 curved tusks in the upper jaw, long and sharp, which they can set [bite] 

 through a green twig the size of a lead pencil." 



The tarantula hawk, Pompilus formosus, is a large species of wasp that 

 makes a business of stinging tarantulas whenever it can get a chance. It 

 stings them in the back, striking down into the central ganglia of the Mygale' s 

 nervous system, thus thrusting its waspy virus into the very life center of 

 the victim. This gives it a sort of paralysis or numb palsy so that it cannot 



