438 THE TARANTULA KILLERS 
covers the hole very securely. A young Tarantula Killer 
will be produced from this egg, if no accident befalls it, 
about the first of June of the ensuing year. 
This large and conspicuous insect is everywhere in 
Texas called the Tarantula Killer, and is over two 
inches in length; the head, thorax, abdomen, and long 
spiny legs are all black, while the wings are some- 
times of a bright brown, with black spots at the tips. 
It is armed with a formidable sting, which it invaria- 
bly uses in taking its prey. This sting does not kill 
the Mygale, but paralyzes it—suspends all animation— 
and in this state, in a dry place, and at the proper temper- 
ature, it is in a condition to resist decomposition a long 
time. The entire group of Mud Daubers possess the 
power of paralyzing their victims, and in that condition 
they store up their spiders, caterpillars, and other in- 
sects, which are to serve as food for coming generations. 
The Tarantula Killer pursues several other species of 
the large ground spiders, but the Mygale Hentzii, or 
Tarantula, is his favorite. 
I have sometimes found under shelving rocks, and 
other sheltered places, dauber’s nests that were doubt- 
less several years old. In some of the cells, where the 
egg had proved abortive, the spiders were there, still 
limber, with no signs of decomposition about them. They 
did not seem to be dead, but looked as if they could 
almost move their legs, and were perhaps not uncon- 
scious of their deplorable condition. I should be fright- 
ened at the prospect of being stung by any of the larger 
_ types of this group of insects. I have, however, known 
ie but a single ir stance of this kind. Several years ago 
~a person was stung by common black dirt dauber on 
the shoulder near- ck; he complained of numb- 
