ARANEA DIADEMA. 360 
eaten as much as satisfies its hunger^ it 
carefully deposits the remainder of its 
prey in a little storehouse of dry leaves, 
over which it spins a strong black web. - 
Lucy, So this species actually keeps 
a larder full of provisions r 
Mother, The warm parts of Europe 
produce a spider called aranea tar an* 
tula* ; its dwelling is formed in the 
ground, about four inches deep ; and this 
apartment is half an inch in breadth, 
lined with silk, and closed at the mouth 
with a net. It is said to lay about seven 
hundred eggs. Its bite occasions severe 
inflammation ; and wonderful, but now 
exploded stories have been told of the 
power of music in allaying the madness^ 
which it was supposed to produce. 
Lucy, Which is the largest spider 
found in England ? 
Mother, The aranea dladema^, «o 
called from the spots on its back bearing 
a slight resemblance to a crown, or dia- 
* From Taranio, a city of haly. Plate XXIV. 
t Plate XXIV. 
R 5 
