THE WEST AMEKICAN SCIENTIST. 77 



and they never would attempt to build tubes. They pull bits of 

 earth together and spin a little silk, then stop — seemingly satisfied 

 with the result of their labor. On the other hand, Ctenizas invar- 

 iably go to work the first night and dig a tube and generally add 

 the door the second night. 



It is not uncommon to find a Mygale in a doorless tube, with 

 the remains of a Cteniza scattered outside, which looks suspicious- 

 ly as though the 'Tarantula' had dined off the mistress and taken 

 possession of the house. Still the children here declare that 'Tar- 

 antulas' live in doored tubes. The children ought to know, for 

 they are in the habit of subjecting the spiders to a species of 

 water cure treatment. They pour water into the hole8 to drive 

 them out, and then, taking advantage of the spiders' natural fer- 

 ocity, set them to fighting. 



The verticle action of the fangs helps to make a California 

 spider's life worth living, for it gives a wide range of uses to these 

 organs. In their sapper and miner operations the fangs are used 

 as picks to loosen the bits of earth, then the bits of soil are folded 

 against the chest by the fangs, and thus carried out to the mouth 

 of the shaft. In making doors they are used to press the moist 

 earth in position. When the spider comes home late at night, the 

 fangs are used as a jimmy or night key to coax a door that is a 

 little obstinate on its hinges. Like other spiders they use them 

 for defending themselves, and for catching and killing their prey, 

 and holding it while they dine; so that the formidable hooks that 

 fold so neatly under the chest when not in use, serve as pickaxe, 

 hod, trowel, jimmy, cimetar and fork in turn, at the pleasure of 

 the owner. 



Cteniza uses her fangs freely when disturbed. Upon slight- 

 est provocation she puts herself in fighting attitude, and quietly 

 waits her opponent. In this position she throws back the cephalo- 

 thorax, and supporting herself on three pairs of legs, lifts the 

 other legs and the maxillary palpi high in air in a very threaten- 

 ing manner. As the enemy approaches, the fangs are suddenly 

 raised and she throws herself forward and plunges the sharp 

 hooks deeply into its body. I have seen drops of clear liquid 

 poison hanging on the fangs of angry spiders, but from the 

 record of others and my own observation, it would seem that it 

 is far less deadly than is popularly supposed. There are many 

 instances where people and lower animals have been bitten by 

 Trap-door spiders, and have suffered no great inconvenience. 

 I only know of one serious sickiiess resulting from a spider's 

 bite, and that was in the East; and the sj)ider, like most crimi- 

 nals, escaped without identification. 



[to be continued.] 



