136 SPIDERS 



different species of burrowing spiders: The Turret Spider (Lycosa 

 arenicola) erects a little turret above her tunnel of twigs and tiny 

 stones, and from this little watch-tower she may sometimes be 

 seen on the look-out for prey as evening approaches ; for, like 

 other burrowing spiders, the Turret Spider is nocturnal in its 

 habits. 



To this group of spiders belong the great, hairy Mygale Spiders 

 of tropic lands, commonly called "Bird-eating" and "Tree" 

 Spiders. They are huge creatures, some species spanning 7 inches 

 with their legs, and are decidedly alarming in appearance. These 

 spiders live in burrows in the ground, under stones, or in hollow 

 trees. They have been known occasionally to kill small birds, 

 but they prey chiefly on large species of insects, and are not so 

 dangerous as is commonly supposed. 



The Tarantula Spider of Southern Europe, whose bite in 

 bygone days was supposed to cause a curious dancing madness, 

 is a large species of Wolf Spider (Lycosida). Although exceed- 

 ingly venomous, the tales of the terrible results following the bite 

 of this creature have been greatly exaggerated; and although 

 large insects, such as bees and wasps, are instantly killed by a 

 nip from the Tarantula's fangs, and experiments have proved that 

 small animals (young birds, moles, etc.) do not survive it for 

 very long, it is not remarkably serious, and only in exceedingly 

 rare cases fatal, to man. 



The Water Spider (Argyroneta aquatica), although an air- 

 breathing animal, spends the greater part of its life under the 

 water. The abdomen of the little creature is clothed with long, 

 silky hairs, in which minute bubbles of air are imprisoned, so 

 that as it swims and dives in the water the spider appears to be 

 coated with quicksilver, and the film of air with which it is sur- 

 rounded enables it to breathe comfortably while beneath the 

 surface. This spider constructs a little dome-shaped nest of 

 closely-woven threads, securely anchored to water-plants beneath 

 the water, and this she fills with air in the following manner : " The 

 spider ascends to the surface and for a moment sticks her body 

 out into the air ; she then rapidly descends, taking with her a 

 supply of air imprisoned by the fine hairs covering her abdomen. 

 She at once enters her nest, and proceeds to comb out the impri- 

 soned bubbles with the aid of her comb-like feet. Again and again 



