Dngesiella hentzi (Gibäed). 359 



poured into the hole. It was only by addiiig creosole to the water 

 that she was finally forced to get out. A few lioles were a whole 

 meter deep. The "tarantula" spends the entire day at the bottom 

 of the hole, and comes up at night, when it destroys the sheet of 

 web over the entrance. It never goes away from the entrance but 

 sits quietly.close beside it. I have often seen them in this position 

 when I was studying- the night Life of the tropical forest with the 

 aid of an acetylene lantern. The slightest flash from the lantern 

 would cause them invariably to disappear into the hole, but when 

 a night insect comes in the way of one and is unfortunate enough 

 to touch it, it is at once overpowered and carried down into the 

 hole. Thus is the life of the tarantula divided between its daytime 

 rest in the depth of its hole and the watch at its entrance during 

 the night. Only when the forests are Üooded and the water has 

 driven the "tarantulas" out of their holes, may one see them occa- 

 sionally in the daytime, climbing on bushes with an agility remark- 

 able in such heavy and sluggish creatures. They seem to have 

 little fear but prefer always to get out of the way of the aggressor 

 and attack only when cornered. Even then they first assume a 

 threatening attitude, warning the intruder and giving hini ample 

 time to reconsider the Situation. At this stage it is wise to keep 

 one's band away. In case the tarantula is irritated still further, it 

 throws itself suddenly, with indescribable rapidity and rage upon 

 the enemy, grabs it with all eight legs and inflicts a deep wound 

 with its powerful fangs. A housemouse which I placed in the same 

 box with a mature female of Bugesiella hentd, died 14 seconds 

 after being bitten. Whether death was due to the poison alone or 

 was accelerated by possible lesion of the heart, I am not able to say. 



The life of the immature male resembles in all particulars that 

 of the female, but as soon as he reaches maturity his habits undergo 

 sudden change. Stimulated by the awakened instinct of propagation 

 he leaves the hole in which he spent his youth and becomes a tramp. 

 He fllls his palpi with sperm and exposing himself to great dangers, 

 seeks the female in order to accomplish the act which Nature has 

 assigned to him and upon which the existence of the species depends. 

 I do not know whether in nature the males live as many years as 

 the females undoubtedly do or whether they die when the season 

 of mating is over, but all the males which I kept in captivity died 

 toward the end of November. 



Which are the senses that enable the male to find the female? 



