The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1853-07-20
TIE TEXAS TARAMTULA.
ar Z ApeusElsr.

=. This Texas OF ours IS an astonisningiy
prolific country. Every field stands luxu
RANT, crowded so thatlt can scarce wave
under the breeze-wiih corn, or sugar. or
wheat or cotton. Every cabin is full and
overflowing, through all its doors and
windows. with white-haired children. Ev
erylprairie abounds in deer. prairie hens
and, cattle. Every river and creek is alive
with fish,. Thewhole land is electric with
Lizards perpe,ually darling about among
the grass like flashes of green lightning
We have too much prairie, and too little
forest. for q great multitude or variety OF
birds. But in horned-frogs, scorpions
.taraufulas, and ceniipeds. we beat the uni
verse. Everybody has seen horned frogs
You see them in jars in the windows OF
( spothecarias. Yon are entreated to pur-
chase them by loa6ng boys on the levee
at New Orleans. They have been neatly,
soldered up in soda boxes, and mailed by
young gentlemen of Texas, to fair ones in
.ihs old Statas. The fair ones receive the
. neat package from the post office, are de-
lighted at the prospect Of daguerreo.
type-perhaps jewelry-open the pack
ages eagerly; and faint, as the frog within
s jumps out, in excellent health upon them
a horned frog is simply. e very harmless
2 frog. with very portentous horns. II has
horns. because everything in its region
trees, shrubs, grass even. has thorns and
nature makes it in keeping with all around
IL. "A mensgerie OF them would not be
expensive.. They are contented to live
upon .air-and can live, if desired, | am
told. Tor several months, without even
thst.
The scorpions are precisely like those
OF Arabia-in shape of lobster, exactly.
only not more than three inches long.
You are very apt 10 put one to your face
in the towel which you apply thereto after
washing IL you do, you will find the
! sting about equal to that of wasp-noth-
ing, worse. They are far less poisonous
chan the scorpion o! the East; in fact none
except new comefs dread them al all.
Bsiths sarantulal You remember the as
ipnishing elasticity with which you sPrang
5 IL the cir that time you were just on the
8 point OF putting your raised foot down up
q 0na snaka coiled in your path. You were
frightened through every fibre ofy your body.
Very probably the snake was as harmless
rs il was beautiful. Spring as high and be
as much frightened as possible when you
iust avoid stepping upon a tarantula .how-
!. ever. Filthy loathsome, abominable. and
|. poisonous, crush il to atoms before you
~ ieave II. If you have never seen it. know
Z henoelorth that it is an enormous spider
,concentrating in itself all the venom and
z soita and ugiiness of all spiders living
:Iis body I is. some two inches long. strong
sieas. 4; red mouth and abundance of stiff
brown hair all over ITSELF When stand
ing. il covers an area Of saucer. At
fack il with q stick, and it rears on'its hint
! Lays, pnasl,es at the stick, and fights like 9
kend 1t even jumps forward a foot or two
s lis rage, and il it bite into a vein the
|fe issdeaihf Ihave been told Of the bat
fought by one on board steamboat
ucovered al the lower end Of the boat
fias looping up the saloon, driving ths
n. bod j of passengers before il; il al
Il drove tIs6 whole company, crew ant
81 fifss q saw was at the house Of
spisd il crawling slowly over thu
neditstipg murder. upon the children
"a In ne TO ON. Excessively pru
s b srsasrd u my fingefs:sI |, al last
rhad it,safsIy inprisoned in glas'
6sre MAS 1 fiaw in the glass