DEATH AND ITS DISGUISES. 443 



together, until it was shortly afterward seized.' Mr. Belt states that he has 

 seen cockroaches retreat in full haste wlien they had unexpectedly ap- 

 proached a large spider.'^ I have already, when speaking of warning 

 coloration (page 340), expressed my lack of faith in the supposed paralyzing 

 influence of spider enemies, at least on insects. Of a vast number of in- 

 sects, especially flies and grasshoppers, fed to spiders of various species in 

 captivity, I have not noted and do not remember a single individual that 

 showed the least evidence of fear or disturbance of any sort. Even when 

 placed in the box with the giant of the order, the huge Tarantula, insects 

 appeared unaffected. '^ 



These observations of the apparent fearlessness of flies in the presence 

 of their natural enemy is confirmed by Moggridge.* He habitually fed his 

 captive spiders with common house flies, and remarks that it was curious 

 to see how entirely the latter were wanting in any instinctive fear of even 

 the largest spiders. They would creep between a spider's legs, causing it to 

 start as if electrified ; and frequently it was not until a fly, after repeating 

 this annoyance several times, actually walked up to and almost touched 

 the fangs of the spider that it was punished. Certainly such facts indi- 

 cate a lack of anything like fear paralysis or consciousness of danger on 

 the part of flies in the presence of spiders. 



There is no doubt that some higher animals possess the power of vol- 

 untarily assuming the external form of death. Numbers of well autlien- 

 ticated examples of this power are recorded among men. Dr. 

 Feigned g Weir Mitchell related to me an example which occurred under 

 . his father's observation many years ago in a Chinese port. A 



Men. Chinaman came on board for purj^oses of barter, and made him- 



self so disagreeable by his importunity that he was finally or- 

 dered to be put off the vessel into his boat. He resisted the order, and 

 as it was being enforced fell down apparently dead. All efforts to restore 

 him were fruitless. He was taken ashore amid great lamentations on the 

 part of his countrymen and friends, and of course damages were assessed 

 upon the shipmen. The officers refused to do anything unless the body 

 were brought on board, and it was accordingly carried to the ship in a boat, 

 and laid down upon the deck, still maintaining every appearance of actual 

 death. The officers, whose suspicions were thoroughly aroused by this time, 

 still refused to pay the demanded recompense until they had made some 

 last, severe, and satisfactory test that the man was actually dead. As they 

 were about to proceed with this test the supposed dead man rose to his 

 feet, and, with grumbling and maledictions, which were echoed by his dis- 

 comfited associates, descended to the boat and pulled ashore. The self hyp- 

 notism in this case was so decided that the shrewd American observers 

 were for a long time thoroughly deceived. 



' Observations, page 47. * The Naturalist in Nicaragua, page 110. 



* See also Vol. I., page 256. * Trapdoor Spiders, page 246. 



