Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1854-08-09
The Tarantula.

The Tarantula is a species of spider when
takes its name from the city of Tareutum, in It
aly, near which it is found in great abundance
Vaetta. an Italian Monk, who had many oppor-
tunities of watching it, published very accurate
history of il in the year l706. 1t is frequent In
all parts of italy, in uncultivated places, but more
especially it breeds most in sunny dry hills, and
particularly in such parts of them as are exposed
to the south. It's bite is very poisonous. The
peasants of Apuia have method Of getting, the
tarantula out of his hole, in order to destroy him.
This they do by making soft kissing noise
throuuh an oat straw whether itbe that the crea-
tnre loves this sound, or rather that he takes it
for the yoic. of some insect that he IS used to prey
upon. he always comes out, and falls sacriice to
his greedlness.
Pliny tells story of the young ones always
eating up their mother for the first food, which Is
counienanced by the relation of the peasants In
those parts, who say that they all swarm about
her and suck her juices, till they leave her allte-
less carcass on the field. They form strong webs,
not much larger than themselves, commonly be-
tween the branches OF tree. Their eggsa de-
posted in white cloth-like bag, which the spl-
der. at certain seasons Of the year. carries con-
stantly about until the brood is hatched. Never
miser clung to his treasures with more sollcltude
than this spider will cling to her bag. Though
apparently a very considerable membranes. she
carries it with her everywhere. If you deprive
her of it. she makes the most strenuous efforts Tor
its recovery, and no personal danger can force her
to quit her precious load. If her cffnrts are lnet
feclual, melancholy seems TO seize her, and,
when deprived of this first object other cares, ex-
istence tselfappears to have lost its charms. II
she succeeds in regainng ner bag, or you restore 1t
to her. her actions demonstrate the excess of her
low. She eagerly seizes it, and with the utmost
agility runs off with it to place of security
Bonnet put this wonderful attachment of the ta-
rantula to an affecting and decisive test. He
threw one, with her bag, into the cavern of large
ant-lion. The spider endeavored to run away,
but was not sufficiently active to prevent the ant
lion from selzng her bag of eggs, which it at
tempted to pull under the sand. She made the
most violent efforts to defeat the aim of her invls
ible foe, and, on her part, struggled with all her
might. The gluten, however, which fastened
her bag, at length gave way, and it separated; I;
but the spider Instantly regained it with her jaws
and redoubed her efforts to rescue her prize from
her opponent. Ii was in vain. The ant-llon
was the strongest of the two, and in spite Of all
her struggles dragged the object OF contention un
der the sand. The unfortunate mother might
have preserved her own life from the enemy
She had but to relinquish the bag, and escape out
of the pit. But she preferred allowing herself to
be buried alive along with the treasure dearer 10
her than her existence and it was only by force
that Bonnet at length withdrew her from the un-
eoual conflict. But the bag Of eggs remained
with the assassin and though he pushed her re-
peatedly with cane, she still persisted in contn-
ning on the spot. Life seemed to have become
burden to her, and all her pleasures to have been
buried in the grave which contained the germs of
her young.
The attachment Of this af1ectionate mother is
not confined to her eggs. After the young spi-
ders are hatched, they make their way out of the
egr by an opening, which she is careful to make
for them. And then they attach themselves in
clusters upon her back, head and even legs; and
in this situation, where they present very sin
ruar appearance. she carries them about with her,
and feeds them until they arelarge enough to pro-
vide for themselves.
The poisonous mechanism of the tarantula con-
sists of two nppers, or fangs, the fore part of
the head, with strong points, toothed like saw.
and terminating in claws, like those of a cat. A
little below the point of the claw there is small
hole, through which the animal emits the poison
and from this apparatus lis means of attack and
defence are derived. d.-Woodrorth' Insect Wor-
fjers