640 
NATURAL HISTORY. 
name and that is the Katijpo , a black spot very delicately 
formed, with a red cross on its neck, surrounded with white 
spots, which add much to its beauty, the female is entirely 
black. This spider does not make any web, but takes up 
its abode in small tufts of a particular kind of grass growing 
near the sea, upon which the natives carefully avoid sitting, 
as the bite, of this insect is very painful, and the effect 
frequently remains for several days, any strong alkati, how- 
ever, will neutralize the poison. New Zealand possesses a 
Tarantula, of a slate color, legs hairy, body remarkably flat, 
it is generally found in the cracks or between the bark of 
dead timber ; it appears to be harmless ; though much less 
than the Australian Tarantula, it is still a large spider, very 
compact and strongly made. There is also a large hunting 
spider which may be called Tecknophora, from carrying its 
young on its back, they are piled up in great numbers, which 
makes it appear as if covered with spines ; when alarmed it 
runs off with its load, and if touched, the little ones jump down 
aud run off like outside passengers from a coach. One of 
the most interesting of the family is the water spider, which 
dives to the bottom, and takes up its abode under stones, 
carrying down with it a globule of air to support life, this 
is so instantaneous that it cannot have time to spin a web to 
contain it, as the European one is said to do. It seems 
simply to confine the air globe between its legs and belly. 
Although the hunting spider weaves no web to entangle its 
prey, one kind makes a very ingenious abode to deposit its 
eggs in, by bringing the topmost leaves together, and 
surrounding them with a close -woven web of considerable 
size, within which it brings up its young. Another deposits 
its eggs between two round plates as large as a shilling, 
which are most artistically made, and ornamented with a 
circular rim. Indeed, many of the egg cases of spiders merit 
attention, from the curious manner in which they are con- 
structed. It may be remarked that spiders generally select 
their abodes on substances of similar color to their own. 
The brown ones take up their residence on stems of trees, 
whilst the green live amongst leaves ; the Tarantula is 
