TEXAS NATURE OBSERVATIONS AND REMINISCENCES. 15 



in third row, last two photos). 



I prepared the accompanying 

 separate photograph of two poison 

 fangs of the same species of taran- 

 tula as the one described above, 

 the specimens being also sent by 

 Mr. Denton from Fort Mcintosh. 

 The venom of these animals seems 

 to be stored away, so to say, in 

 the mandibles, between the flesh 

 (muscular tissue) in ducts of two 

 separate cavities which communi- 

 cate with the poison fang. The 

 photos show the right and left 

 mandibles opened artificially, the 



both mandibles and the fangs are 

 instantly put in motion in an 

 erect posture, and the fangs are 

 suddenly plunged or hooked in 

 the flesh of- the victim, when an 

 infinitesimal quantity of the dead- 

 ly poison is injected into the 

 tissues and absorbed by the capil- 

 lary circulation. On examining 

 the original tarantula mandibles 

 sent by Mr. Denton, with a mag- 

 nifying glass, both of the fangs 

 showed at the upper curvature 

 and close to the apex, a very 

 minute outlet, and the lower photo 



Texas Tarantula (With Rat It Killed.) 



upper one in part and the lower 

 one in its entirety up to the apex 

 of the curved poison-claw or fang, 

 showing both specimens magni- 

 fied about three times their nor- 

 mal size. The mandibles and fang 

 consist externally of a hard, dark 

 brown shell, and both mandibles 

 are covered with black, hairy 

 bristles. When at rest, the curved 

 fangs are retracted toward the 

 base of the mandible^ but when 

 in the act of inoculating its 

 victims (as noticed by Dr. Lange 

 and myself in the case of the rat) 



herein shows "the thin wire piece 

 which had been placed through 

 the artificially opened mandible 

 cavity along the opened fang, 

 with its exit near the point of 

 the fang, resembling in this respect 

 the anatomical arrangement of 

 the rattlesnake fang. 



Finally, the miniature photos 

 show an interesting group of mos- 

 quito-larvae (first row, second 

 view), with stinging apparatus, 

 and nearly fully developed, to 

 escape their watery element, and 

 also depicted in the separate photo- 



