62 TEXAS NATURE OBSERVATIONS AND REMINISCENCES. 



to submit a lengthy report on Tex- 

 as prairie spiders and others, con- 

 jointly with numerous photo illus- 

 trations which are now also re- 

 produced herewith, and the read- 

 ers undoubtedly will recall most of 

 the different tyoes they may hav^e 

 met on their hunting trips. These 

 photos are all original, and as 

 seen in nature. 



As stated, Texas harbors in cer- 

 tain favored localities numerous 

 spiders of more or less vituperous 

 type ; but the majority are entire- 

 ly harmless, and many are useful 

 creatures. During summer and 

 especially during the breeding 

 time some species are exceedingly 

 vicious. At this time they prepare 

 their delicate breeding nests either 

 •underground, or in hollows of 

 trees, under logs aud rocks and 

 the loose b^rk of trees, old rotten 

 wood,_ etc. In gardens they are es- 

 pecially dreaded at this time, on 

 account of occasionally invading 

 the fruit trees, in particular ba- 

 nanas, grape vines and ripe grape 

 bunches etc. Undisturbed by their 

 many enemies — man and birds and 

 wasps, they are entirely harmless 

 and in one way useful. In the Is- 

 land of Madagascar, it is well 

 known, the natives gather the spi- 

 der web material of a particular 

 spider species directly from the 

 spider's spinning apparatus. It is 

 of yellowish-gold color and glitters 

 like silk, and the most delicate 

 and costly fabrics are woven from 

 the silk-like spinning material of 

 these useful insects and there ex- 

 ist special spinning factories in 

 which the natives prepare the 

 most gorgeous silk-like domestic 

 products known in the world. 



In Texas the most dangerous 

 species known is the small speck- 

 led snider belonging to the ge- 

 nus Letrodaetus Mactams and 

 Phydippus Trinunctatus, a small, 

 jet black or brown Tarantula, 

 striped with white, orange yellow 

 or Vermillion red specks on its up- 

 per abdomen. 



These spiders have, camparative- 

 ly, short but powerfully strong 

 fangs and legs, a very large quad- 

 rangular head and thorax, and 

 four to six very sharp eye lenses. 

 They jump a far distance' to catch 

 their prey — mostly flies and other 

 insects. 



The poison of these spiders is 

 contained in a poison receptacle 

 near the headparts, and it commu- 

 nicates in tubules with the small 

 but sharp and curved fangs. The 

 venom is of an oily consistency 

 and even a very minimal quantity 

 produces so severe venom-inocula- 

 tion symptoms that it is consid- 

 ered more venomous, comparative- 

 ly, than the venom of a rattle- 

 snake. The curved venom claws 

 can be seen at the end part of the 

 strong mandibles in the form of 

 deep steelblue and glittering pro- 

 jections, and more so if viewed 

 with a magnifying glass. 



The inoculation symptoms are 

 either of local or of systemic na- 

 ture, according to the amount of 

 venom and the parts inoculated. 

 Generally a severe sting is felt, 

 with inflammation or blisters af- 

 terwards; or the venom is ab- 

 sorbed rapidly into the blood .-irid 

 lymph current, and .^ymotoms of 

 a severe nervous nature, with 

 pain radiating over the abdomen, 

 chest and spine set in — as if a 

 band was tightly constricting the 

 body. In such severe cases vomit- 

 ing spells occur and the heart 

 centers may be affected — ■^j^mp- 

 toms similarly occuring in snake- 

 bite. 



The .medical -profession occa- 

 sionally meets with such cases, and 

 I recall a case that happened some 

 years ago which I treated with 

 Dr. Caf f erey : A young lady from 

 the Salado settlement was bitten 

 on her leg by one such spider and 

 she suffered excruciating pain 

 and nervous attacks before being 

 relieved under special treatment, 

 and it was over two hours before 



