The Black-Bellied Tarantula 



When the soil is earthy and homogeneous, 

 the architectural type is free from obstruc- 

 tions and the Spider's dwelling is a cylin- 

 drical tube; but, when the site is pebbly, the 

 shape is modified according to the exigencies 

 of the digging. In the second case, the lair 

 is often a rough, winding cave, at intervals 

 along whose inner wall stick blocks of stone 

 avoided in the process of excavation. 

 Whether regular or irregular, the house 

 is plastered to a certain depth with 

 a coat of silk, which prevents earthslips 

 and facilitates scaling when a prompt exit is 

 required. 



Baglivi, in his unsophisticated Latin, 

 teaches us how to catch the Tarantula. I be- 

 came his rusticus insidiator; I waved a spike- 

 let at the entrance of the burrow to imitate 

 the humming of a Bee and attract the atten- 

 tion of the Lycosa, who rushes out, thinking 

 that she is capturing a prey. This method 

 did not succeed with me. The Spider, it is 

 true, leaves her remote apartments and comes 

 a little way up the vertical tube to enquire 

 into the sounds at her door; but the wily 

 animal soon scents a trap; it remains motion- 

 less at mid-height and, at the least alarm, goes 



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