140 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



NOTES ON THE POISONOUS BITE OF LATRO- 



DECTUS SCELIO. 



By C. Frost. 



<(Read before the Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria, gtA June, 



1890J 

 The numerous cases of poisonous spider-bite recorded in the 

 ipress during the past summer led me to make inquiries, in order 

 to test the genuineness of the reports, and, if possible, to establish 

 the identity of the spider. I also determined, should an oppor- 

 tunity occur, to make some further experiments with the black 

 and red spider, Latrodedus scelio. 



Having captured a rat in the early part of March, I made two 

 spiders of the above species bite it on the upper part of the hind 

 foot, where the skin is thin and devoid of hair. I then placed it 

 in a wire trap, to watch the effects. During the first hour the rat 

 tried its best to get out, but after a while it abandoned all hope 

 of escape, and sat with its tail in one corner of the trap until it 

 -died about twenty-two hours after ; and as no symptoms of blood- 

 poisoning were exhibited, I concluded it died from fretting. Two 

 days later I caused two other spiders of the same species to bite 

 a dog. The dog gave a slight howl when bitten, and immediately 

 after showed great eagerness to escape from the shed in which 

 the bite took place ; but beyond that no symptoms were exhibited, 

 and the dog is still alive. About ten days later I secured another 

 rat, and thinking the skin might be too thick for the falces 

 of the spider to penetrate, I cut through the skin and made the 

 spider bite into the wound. This time I placed the rat in a dark 

 box, with ample room and material to afford concealment ; but 

 after keeping it for two days, during which time it ate freely and 

 appeared perfectly healthy, I found other means to destroy it. 

 There can be no doubt that the animals were bitten, for in each 

 case I raised the spider and saw it holding on with its falces 

 buried in the flesh. Despite the negative result of these experi- 

 ments, however, the evidence which I have obtained leaves no 

 doubt in my mind that the bite is often attended with very serious 

 results. 



In a former paper I expressed an opinion that the bite of this 

 species was more poisonous than that of most spiders. This 

 opinion was formed partly on an examination of its prey ; and a 

 few days ago, I found suspended in the web of one of this species a 

 small lizard — Macoa — which doubtless had been killed by its bite. 



The larger lizards are not affected by snake-poison ; therefore 

 it will be interesting to note whether they are also proof against 

 the poison of this spider. 



The following particulars of cases treated by several well-known 

 medical men in Victoria — to whom I am deeply indebted for 

 furnishing me with notes — will, I think, be interesting to members 

 of this club : — 



