656 THE WOLF-SPIDERS. 



tinguished, even when its position is pointed out. It is a strange sight to see the earth 

 open, a little lid raised, some hairy legs protrude, and gradually the whole form of the 

 spider show itself. 



The strength of the membrane is very considerable. One of the nests in my own 

 collection has endured a large amount of rough handling, and has yet suffered but little 

 damage. It will permit a man's finger to be slipped into its interior, and has a very 

 soft and silken feel to the touch. The trap-door has, however, been somewhat injured, 

 as most of the dry earth has been shaken off, and only the layers of web left in their 

 places. I have also several of the spiders themselves preserved in spirits, and though 

 they have lost their colors, as is the wont of most preserved Arachnida, their falces 

 are very perfect, and the peculiar barbed mandibles are clearly perceptible. 



The mode in which these Spiders procure food seems to be by hunting at night, and, 

 in some cases, by catching the insects that are entangled in the threads that the creat- 

 ure spins by the side of its house. There are several species of Trap-door Spiders, 

 and all seem to possess similar habits. In the daytime they are very chary of opening 

 the door of their domicile, and if the trap be raised from the outside, they run to the 

 spot, hitch the claws of their fore feet in the silken webbing of the door, and those of 

 the hind feet in the lining of the burrow, and so resist with all their might. The 

 strength of the Spider is wonderfully great in porportion to its size, and few persons 

 would anticipate the force of its resistance. 



Another figure of this species is given at the right-hand side of the illustra- 

 tion on page 651, in order to show the creature in the act of re-entering its curious 

 home. 



THE Lycosidae, or Wolf-spiders, are all ground livers, and take their prey in fair 

 chase instead of catching it in nets. They are mostly found among herbage, low 

 bushes, fallen leaves, and similar localities ; and if they should happen to feel alarmed, 

 they run for safety under stones, mosses, rocks, and into any accidental crevice in the 

 earth. The family includes an immense number of species, which are found in almost 

 every part of the world. They are fierce and determined hunters, chasing their prey 

 wherever it may seek shelter. Some of them are semi-aquatic in their habits, and are 

 not only able to run fearlessly upon the surface of water, but can descend along the 

 aquatic plants until they are deeply immersed, breathing by means of the air which is 

 entangled among the hairy clothing of their bodies. 



The large central figure on the next engraving represents the celebrated TARANTULA- 

 SPIDER, so called from the town of Tarentum, in Italy, where this Arachnid is very plentiful. 



There was a deeply-rooted belief among the inhabitants of that town and its neighbor- 

 hood, that if any one were bitten by the Tarantula he would be instantly afflicted with 

 a singular disease called tarantismus, which exhibited itself in one of two extremes, the 

 one being a profound and silent melancholy, and the other a continual convulsive move- 

 ment of the whole body. It was also thought that this disease could only be cured by 

 music, and that a certain tune was needful in each particular case. 



The disease undoubtedly existed, and might, not improbably, be cured by music ; but 

 its source was entirely unconnected with the Tarantula. It ran through towns and vil- 

 liages like wildfire, drawing into its vortex hundreds of persons of both sexes who came 

 within the sphere of its influence. The patients would leap, and dance, and wave their 

 arms, and shriek, and sing, as if the ancient Dionysia were being re-enacted in Christian 

 times ; and, indeed, it is by no means unlikely that the frenzied gesticulations of the 

 ancient bacchanals were attributable to a similar cause. As soon as the music ceased 

 to play, the patients ceased to dance, and fell back into the profound stupor from which 

 the brisk sounds had aroused them. The disease was evidently a nervous affection, 

 tending to propagate itself, like chorea and hysteria at the present day, and, in fact, 

 seems to be little more or less than a rather aggravated form of the former of these 

 maladies if, indeed, they are not different developments of the same ailment. 



That the tarantismus should be cured by music, and consequent dancing, is a natural 

 result. The patient indulged in long and continuous exercise, fell into a violent perspira- 

 tion, fell exhausted, slept calmly, and awoke cured. The Spider, upon whom the odium of 



