ROOM IX. 
Nat. Hist. 
32 
running a few steps, then suddenly stopping short, and 
rising on its fore legs to look round for its prey, which 
consists of minute insects and gnats, especially the lat¬ 
ter. As soon as it discovers one, it advances with a 
stealthy step, a few paces at a time, till it is near 
enough to spring on it at a single bound, when it seizes 
the poor victim, and devours it. 
Many of these Spiders construct silken nests, in the 
form of oval bags, open at both ends, in which they 
rest—but leave them in great haste on the slightest 
appearance of danger. The next family have the first 
pair of legs furnished with moveable thumbs (Chelae), 
like the claw of a Lobster.—Amongst these are the 
genera Phrynus, and Thelyphonus (Tarantula , Fab.), 
the Scorpions, and the False Scorpions (Galeodes 
and CJielifer). 
The last family of Arachnida consists of the Shep¬ 
herd Spiders (Phalctngium), and the Mites (Acari). 
The Phryni and Thelyphoni, though called Taran¬ 
tulae by Fabricius, must not be confounded with the 
celebrated insect of that name, -which belongs to a 
very different genus, the Wolf-Spiders (Lycosa , Latr.J. 
The tales which have been told of that animal, and 
the fatal effects attributed to its bite, only to be 
cured, as was supposed, by music and dancing, have 
lost their credit on investigation, at least in the opinion 
of well informed and unprejudiced inquirers. It is 
now ascertained that the bite of the Tarantula .is 
scarcely, if at all, dangerous to man, and may be 
readily cured by the medicines usually employed in 
such cases. 
The remainder of this Case is filled with Insects 
which do not undergo any metamorphosis, as species 
of the genera lulus , and Scolopendra (some of the 
latter are of large size), Lepisma, and Podura, The 
Parasitic Insects come next, the species of which are 
for the most part peculiar, respectively, to peculiar 
animals, 
