19 



better to fix them securely by placing two or 

 three pins across the extremity of their body: 

 they are thus completely secured from injuring 

 others that may be placed near them. 



Order 2. DJMEROSOTOMA. Body composed of 

 two segments, the abdomen pedunculatcd ; 

 mouth furnished with mandibles arid with max- 

 illae; eyes six or eight. [PL I, tig. 6.] 



Spiders are the animals that compose this 

 order; they live principally on insects, but in 

 South America, and within the tropics, where 

 they grow to an immense size, they have been 

 known to seize humming and other small birds 

 while sitting on their nest ; and there is no 

 doubt but that the poison which is conveyed 

 through their strong and powerful mandibles 

 acts as effectually, and as rapidly, on those small 

 birds, as that of the European species does on 

 the common ily ; it is, however, doubtful whether 

 it be injurious to man: it is so, probably, in a 

 very slight degree ; but this can only apply to 

 the larger species, which, from their formidable 

 appearance, are not likely to be handled more 

 than necessity requires. Unfortunately, from 

 the general disgust with which spiders arc re- 

 garded, naturalists have been presented with but 

 few specimens for their observation ; con- 



