184 DENIZENS OF THE DESERT 



their independence as soon as they are out of 

 the egg case. Both eggs and young may be 

 found in the Southwestern States at almost any 

 time of the year. 



The poison of this venomous spider is secreted 

 in two pouchlike glands covered; with spirally 

 arranged muscles. These glands are located at 

 the extreme front end of the head, and from 

 them run tiny ducts to the pores at the ends 

 of the claws of the mandibles. The pore is lo- 

 cated not at the point of the claw, where it 

 would become closed or plugged by the flesh of 

 the victim, but on one side, allowing the venom 

 to run freely after the puncture has been made 

 by the sharp end of the mandible. This open- 

 ing of the venom duct may be seen with the 

 naked eye on the mandible of such large spi- 

 ders as the black tarantulas. 



When a human being is bitten there is little 

 to show where the puncture has been made 

 no little red spot as is often thought. Since the 

 poison is one of the most virulent known to medi- 

 cal science, the symptoms following a bite are 

 quite serious, especially if the victim is a small 

 child or a person in frail health. In such cases 



