( 4o66 ) 
faid to hcamphi/isna , but do move forward only by the head, 
which is fairly diftingu.ihable from the tail by a notable black- 
heis.4That the threc^I took out of the body of one Beetle, were 
all of a dark hair-colour with whitifli bellies^ romewhat thicker 
then hoggs briftles; but I took out of the body of another beetle 
one \hn was much thicker than the refti much lighter coloured; 
and bymeafure juft five Inches and a half long 5 whereas all the 
refl: did not exceed three inches three quarters. 
jinExtraB of a Letter , TvritUnM^rch $. 1672 iy Dr. Thomas 
CorneiiOj^i Neapolitan Philofopher and Phyfcian^ tQ]ohn Dod« 
ington Elquire^ /i// Majefties Kefident Venice 5 cencervin^ 
Jome Obfervations made of ppjjonj pretendiug to be Jiang by Taran- 
tula's : Engbjh'd out of the ItaJtan^ 
SIR 
NOw the time approaches, that I may fend you fjme Tar an* 
tnlas. Mean while 1 fhall not omit to impart unto you, 
what was related to me, a few daies fince, by a judicious and un- 
prejudicateperfon, whichis ^That beir.gin the Country of 
tranto ( where thofe lnfe(3:s are in great numbers , ) there was a 
man , who thiiiking himfelf flung by a Tarantula , fliew'd in his 
neck a fmali fpcck, about which m a very fhort time there arofe 
iome pimples full of a ferous humour, andthat,in a few hours 
after,that poor man was forely afHidled with very violent fymp- 
%:)Vn$^^^Symope's^^ very great agitations 5 g'ddines ef the head, 
and vomit J but that without any inclination at all to dance, aud 
without all defire of having any mufical inftruments, hcmifera* 
biy dyed within two daies. 
The fame perfon affirmed to me^that all thofe that think them- 
felves bitten by Tarantulas^ (except fuch^ as for fome ends fain 
themfelves tobefo5)are for the mofl: part young wanton girles, 
( whom the Italian writer calls Dolci di (ale^^ who by fome par-^ 
t cular indifpofition falling into this melancholly madnefs, per- 
fwade ihemfelvesaccordingto the vulgar prejudice^to have been 
ftting by a Tarantula. And I remember to have obferved in Ca^ 
labria fome women^who feifed on by fome fuch accidents were 
counted to be poffefs'd with theDivel^ it being the common 
belief in that Province, that the greateft part of the evils^which 
affli£l man-kindj proceeds from evil Spirits* 
This brings to my mind a terrible evil , which often enough 
" ' . " ' ' is 
