242 ABOUT SPIDERS AND THEIR WEBS. 



Allied species prefer the heaths and commons, and 

 spread their sheets of web over the tops of furze, heather, 

 and similar plants. The eggs of these spiders are enclosed 

 in cocoons of snowy whiteness, which are fastened to the 

 plants. Lest, however, the whiteness of the cocoon 

 should betray it, the surface is always covered with 

 sarth, pieces of dead leaves, &c. 



There are many spiders which do not entrap their prey 

 in webs, but catch it in fair chase. 



These are of two very distinct kinds, called Wolf 

 spiders, and Hunting, or Leopard spiders. 



The former are of moderate size,, blackish-brown in 

 colour, and may be seen running about the ground with 

 some speed. There are at least sixteen species of British 

 "Wolf spiders, all possessing similar habits. 



The largest of our British species feeds chiefly on bees 

 belonging to the genus Andrena, and has therefore been 

 named Lycosa andrenivom. 



A Continental species of Wolf spider is very celebrated 

 under the name of Tarantula {Lycosa tarantula), being 

 thought to cause a singular disease consisting of two 

 opposite extremes, profound melancholy and fierce ex- 

 citement, the latter serving as a sort of channel through 

 which the former was conducted out of the system. 



Music was supposed to induce the violent symptoms, 

 and if it could be kept up for a sufficiently long time, the 

 patients became thoroughly exhausted, broke out into a 

 violent perspiration, fell asleep, and when they awoke, 

 were perfectly cured. One tune, familiar under the 



