The Arizona sentinel., 1879-05-10
YUMA, ARIZONA. SATURDAY, MAY TO- 1879.

WE have often been asked the name of
large spider sometimes found in Arizona,
but very abundant in the neighborhood
of San Diego. Though very much res
embling it must not be confounded with
another, also frequent II that locality,
the trap-door spider. We copy the fol-
lowing from Woods Natural History:
The great crab-spi5er Js.ongs to the
typical genus of this family and is one
Of the formidable AraeaaIa that are said
to prey upon youn s and other
small yertebrates. instead of limiting
themselves to the inse.a nd similar be-
ings which corsfitrs the food of the
generality of the spider race. All epi,,fs
are carnivOrous, the dimensions of their
prey varying with those of the DESTROYER
ana it is by no means an illogical sup
position that spider whose spread of
limb equals that of human hanu, might
suck the juices Of some of the smaller
and more helpless ver.ebrates.
In Madame Merian's well known work
on the insects of Surinam, there is care
full and forcIble sketch of one of these
great spiders (MygaLe Aulcolaria) engaged
in preyinS upon d humning bird, which
it seems to have taken out of its nest.
She gives also description Of this spider,
mentioning tnat it chiefly feeds upon
ants, but that when they fail, it elm bs
the trees and catches the hummiug birds.
For time this account was believed, and
the spider received the specific name OF
AUicula1ia, in consequence of its bird
catching propensities. After while,
however, several per ,ons ventUred to dis
credit the story, and at last both the ac-
count and the Illustration were set down
as simple labrications Of the imagination.
Experiments were also tried, dead hum
ming birds being put into the dens Of
these spiders, without any result, and the
whole Of Madame Merian's account was
bodily denounced Us fabulos-s.
lately, however, the Uyga'e bus been
seen repeatedly to Kill the young, not
only d thy hummiug bird, but Of othe
vert .brsjes, and thus Madame M,ris-.'z
reputation .rr r-r4-.ty remains intact
The Hgqa spins no web 10 serve 5, as
:. -l--l.- = yuuvas ac5 .i-4 iu -la-
bush in the clefts of hollow ravines, in
volcanic tufas, or i'll decomposed lava. 1t
often travels to considerable distance
and conceals itself under leaves 10 sur
prise its prey, or it climbs on the branch
es of trees to surprise the COlibriS IA. E.,
hummihg blrds) ard the Certhia Flaveoid
(a bird allied to our common tree creep
er.) 1t usually takes advantage OF the
night to attack enemies, and it Is COM
monty on its return toward its burrows
that one may meet it in the morning and
catch it, when the dew, with which the
plants are charged, slackens its walk.
THE muscular force Of the Mygate is
very great, and it is particularly difficult
to make it let go the objects which it has
seized, even when their surface affords no
purchase, either to the hooks with which
its tarsi are armed, or to the claws which
it employs to kill the birds and the anolis
Ga Kind Of tree lizard). The Obstinacy and
bitterness which it exhibits il combat
cease only with its life. Some, pierced
twenty times in the corselet, continued
to assail their adversaries without show
ing desire to escAre.