The Black-Bellied Tarantula 



so they tell us. Special tunes have been noted, 

 those quickest to afford relief. There is medi- 

 cal choreography, medical music. And have 

 we not the tarantella, a lively and nimble 

 dance, bequeathed to us perhaps by the heal- 

 ing art of the Calabrian peasant? 



Must we take these queer things seriously 

 or laugh at them ? From the httle that I have 

 seen, I hesitate to pronounce an opinion. 

 Nothing tells us that the bite of the Taran- 

 tula may not provoke, in weak and ven.' im- 

 press'.on.ible people, a nerv^ous disorder which 

 music will relieve; nothing tells us that a pro- 

 fuse perspiration, resulting from a ven,- ener- 

 getic dance, is not likely to diminish the dis- 

 comfort by diminishing the cause of the ail- 

 ment. So far from laughing. I reflect and en- 

 quire, when the Calabrian peasant talks to me 

 of his Tarantula, the Pujaud reaper of his 

 TheridioH Jugubrc, the Corsican husbandman 

 of his Maknignatte. Those Spiders might 

 easily deser\-e, at least partly, their terrible 

 reputation. 



The most powerful Spider in my district, 

 the Black-bellied Tarantula, will presently 

 give us something to think about, in this con- 

 nection. It is not my business to discuss a 

 41 



