CHEAT SURINAM SPIDER. 
1 HIS Spider, which appears to be the largest 
of the genus, is the Aranea Avicularia of Lin- 
naeus : so called, by that great naturalist, from 
it's being supposed to prey on the small birds 
of Surinam, as well as on insects. In rhe 
Planches Eniuminees, a figure is given of this 
same Spider, there called the Great Spider of'' 
Surinam, in the act of devouring a Colibri, or 
Humming -Bird. 
The Great Surinam Spider is of an enormous 
bulk, and upwards of six inches long: the co- 
lour is chiefly a dusky brown, much like that 
of many of the smaller common species of 
European Spiders. The limbs are large, as' 
represented in the annexed figure: and the 
creature is said to be mortally venomous, even 
to the human species ; as, we conceive, all the 
Spiders are, in a slighter degree, sufficiently fa- 
tal to insects, • . . : * 
There appears to be very little known, by 
-tire writers of natural history, respecting -this. 
Great 
