416 EESOURCES OF CALIFORNIA. 



so often trod by the industrious miners ; and about their 

 haunts a dozen or more may be seen any day, of this hideous 

 enlargement of the spider-race, within a circuit of a few 

 yards, leisurely wending their way along the roads and by- 

 ways. Often have we marked, with attentive curiosity, his 

 awkward gait while lifting his long, unwieldy legs above the 

 short blades of grass, and wondered for what uses and pur- 

 poses this ugly little monster was placed upon this beautiful 

 globe. While attentively watching the motions of one of 

 these insects during our walk, we were much surprised to see 

 the object of our attraction suddenly stop short in his wan- 

 derings and raise itself up to its full height, as though watch- 

 ing the coming of some unwelcome visitor. We at tirst sup- 

 posed that it had just espied us, and was expecting danger at 

 our hands ; but upon our retreating a few steps, he quickly 

 crouched behind a tuft of dried grass, and remaining very 

 quiet, seemed to make himself as small as possible. A slight 

 buzzing was heard in the air, and in a moment a wasp passed 

 near, hovering on the wing over his trembling victim, the 

 much-dreaded tarantula. Like some bird of prey, the wasp 

 remained thus poised for a moment, and then, quick as 

 thought, darted down upon the enemy, and stung him many 

 times with great rapidity. The tarantula, smarting under the 

 pain, began a retreat, with all the speed of which he was 

 capable ; but the wasp hung over him with wonderful tenac- 

 ity, and again and again struck him with his venomous sting. 

 Gradually the flight of the tarantula became slower and 

 more irregular, and at length, under the repeated thrusts of 

 his conqueror, he died, biting the grass with his terrible 

 fangs." 



Several species of small spiders, which live in a dwelling 

 like those of the tarantula, and therefore called " trap-door " 

 spiders, are found in California, and one kind has many rep- 

 resentatives on Telegraph Hill, in San Francisco. 



