THE SAVAGE WORLD. 
231 
no shoe too small for them to wear; no dress so coarse as to repel them. 
Those who live in the land of the scorpion have to use all precaution, even in 
dressing, lest they disturb this unreasonable and irascible insect, which, thorough 
anarchist that it is, recognizes no individual right to property. The young 
are frequently not content with feasting at the family hearth, but devour 
piecemeal their devoted parent, who thus outdoes the famed pelican. A singular 
species, called Thelyphonus caudatus , is found in Java; it is rat-tailed, and 
breathes through spiracles. 
The Spider. The unwearied patience of the spider is the despair of the 
careful housewife. Like Antaeus, he is thrown to earth only to rise with 
increased strength and determination. They are the most observant of the 
insects, and are always ready to turn to their own advantage any mistaken 
confidence of their prey. Like Argus, they have many eyes with which to 
guard their interests. The loss of a leg is quickly repaired by the growth of 
another. Their web is more ingenious than that made by the shuttle of the weaver, 
GIANT CRAB SPIDER. 
and is made to serve the combined uses of a trap for enemies and a castle for 
the spider. The female lays in a season about one thousand eggs, which, as 
soon as dry, are surrounded by a home-made bag which she fastens to her own 
person. Like the hen, she ceases her care over her young only when they 
have become able to provide for themselves. 
The true spiders ( Araneidce ) have the thorax and head united which con¬ 
tain the stomach, the centre of the nervous system, and the muscles of the 
legs and jaws. The abdomen is occupied by the intestines, the organs of 
respiration, the circulating system, the organs of reproduction, and the mechan¬ 
ism for spinning. The males are ordinarily smaller than the females, and have 
relatively longer legs and smaller abdomen; they are usually darker in color 
and markings. After the eggs have been laid they are easy to examine, as 
they develop equally well in any place, and the application of oil or of alcohol 
renders their shells transparent. With the bursting of the first skin the spider 
