462 SUPPLEMENT 



" The mygale carries its eggs enclosed in a cocoon of white 

 silk, of a very close tissue, forming two rounded pieces, united 

 at their border. It supjDorts this cocoon under its corslet, by 

 means of its antennula3, and transports it along with itself. 

 When very much pressed by its enemies, it abandons it for 

 an instant ; but it returns to take it up as soon as the combat 

 is concluded. 



" The little ones are disclosed in a rapid succession. They 

 are entirely white ; the first change which they undergo is the 

 appearance of a triangular and hairy spot, which forms on the 

 centre of the upper part of the abdomen. 



" I had preserved from 1800 to 2000 of these, all which 

 proceeded from the same cocoon. They were all devoured 

 in a single night by some red ants, which, guided by an 

 instinct that set at defiance all my cares, discovered the 

 box in which I had inclosed the spiders, and insinuated 

 themselves into it by means of an almost imperceptible aper- 

 ture, through which myriads of them passed, one by one, in 

 the space of a few hours. It is owing, in all probability, to 

 the destructive war waged upon the aviculariae by these 

 insects, that the number of these arachnides is confined within 

 such narrow limits, which by no means correspond with their 

 prodigious capability of reproduction." 



According to M. Palisot de Beauvois, the mygale avicn- 

 laria, inhabits the open country, and establishes itself in the 

 cavities presented to it by the soil. It closes the aperture of 

 its dwelling with a web, as do many other congeneric ara- 

 ne'ides. 



Another mygale, called recluse by M. Latreille, constructs 

 its nest in the same manner as the wasow-mygale, of which 

 more anon. It fixes its abode in stony places, and its bite, 

 according to Brown, causes a very severe pain, which lasts 

 for many hours, and is sometimes even accompanied with 

 fever and delirium. The ordinary sudorifics, spirituous 



