Spiders 



diverse. There are orb- weavers, line-weavers and cobweb- 

 weavers, all named according to the snares they spin. 

 Then, again, there a/e wolf-spiders, jumping, trapdoor, 

 bird-eating and crab spiders. In addition, there are 

 money-spinners and others. 



The great bird-eating spiders are the largest members 

 of the spider family. Great hairy brutes possessed of 

 enormous poison fangs, capable of killing birds and 

 small animals, they have nevertheless earned a title which 

 they do not merit, for their usual food consists of large 

 insects. 



They spin no webs or snares of any kind, but dwell in 

 holes in the ground or in hollows in trees. They hunt by 

 night, a fact which renders their study by no means easy. 

 The little that is known of these creatures shows that they 

 are long-lived, even in captivity. Their senses of hearing 

 and smell are little developed ; their eight eyes do not ap- 

 pear to enable them to do more than distinguish between 

 light and shade. 



Their sense of touch appears as highly developed as 

 in the bats. It is most striking when these spiders are 

 courting. " When the male is seeking the female he seems 

 quite unaware of her proximity unless he accidentally 

 brushes up against her. If he loses contact for a moment 

 he is quite at sea and wanders blindly about, turning^ 

 perhaps, to the left when the least motion to the right 

 would bring them together again. . . . He seems to be 

 aware at once of the nature of the object which touches 

 him, assuming a threatening attitude if the touch is hostile, 

 or pouncing instantly if hungry and the touch is that of 

 a passing insect. If, however, the insect is lucky enough 

 to escape, it is in no danger of pursuit." 



There is one remarkable trait among spiders. It 

 almost invariably the case that the female is larger thai 

 the male. As frequently it happens that she " makes no 

 nice discrimination between an amorous male and a succu- 

 lent insect." Well, the males of some of these bird-eating 



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