The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-12-19
Stuffed Spiders of Southern Cali.
fOrufa.

From the Santa Barbara (Col.l independent
If there is any one feature for which
| Southern California is especially noted it
| is her spiders. When il comes TO q real
| live, energetic, ugly, vicious. poisonous
spider, Southern California can enter prize
animals at any fair. The most precious
trophies the tourists bear away from this
coast are, in all probability, the neat
cards decorated with these monsters
OF the insect world. Every one Is
| familiar with the trap-door and nest
| OF this cunning but ugly creation, and OF
which strange little habitations every
adobe ranch is full. SO densely populated
with these beautiiully-lined tunnels are
some OF the sunny, quiet valleys among the
foothills that close inspection will reveal
their almost invisible trap-doors hardly
foot apart. Yet, in spite Of this, hardly a
| living animal will be seen. There is
Legitimate demand for prepared speci-
mems, both at wholesale and retail.
When first brought in by the quick
eyed, deXterous young Spaniards who
supply most OF them, they are deprived
OF what life is left in their bodies Ivy poi
sonouS fumes or other application OF poi
son. After the taXidermist has made sure
they are quite dead. a wise precautIon, he
cuts them open on the under side, and re-
moving the loose matter therefrom. care
! fully stutls them with cotton. This stuff
ing process is quite delicate operation,
and requires no little knack TO perform
neatly and successfully without iniuring
the animal and bringing it back to its nor
nal shape and size. A humming-bird
would seem to be about as small an
object as could easily be put through
this pains-taking operation, let alone
an insect even Of the size OF IN
rantuia. This having been completed. the
spider is placed upon board and properly
held In position by pins, one through the
body and one in each foot, and set in the
sun 10 dry. The sale OF them i'm this city
Is carried on both ut wholesale and retail.
several parties here carrying on the bust
ness. The retail price is fifty cents apiece.
one merchant dispOsing Of many dozen
a year In that way. The wholesale opera-
tons are confined to supplying the natural
history stores OF san Francisco, which
establishments pay IS per dozen for
well-prepared specimens, the supply
seeming never to crowd the demand.
Hayward Muzzall. of this city.
who have dealt heavily in this branch
OF industry, have sold several hundred in
4 year and charged for them 81 per dozen,
Several men in Los Angeles also carry on
the business, and one taxidermist In mar
ticular has made very remuneratiyc occu-
patton OF the preparation OF cases contain.
ing nests so arranged as 10 give full view
OF their internal structure. and placing in
natural position tarantulas and their Young.
Some OF bis work Is very fine; one. in |
deed, was sold for $50 to the proprietor Of
circus and menagerie, and Is doubt |
less now astonishing The natives i'm dif- |
ferent parts OF the country. As. OF
course, Is well known. these spi- |
dcrs aIo found within wide ra-
aus west ef the Rocky mountains. but |
Arizona and Southern California can claim
tie most bounteous supply, and perhaps
Tue biggest, ugliest individual specimens.
IN spite OF their great numbers, few in
stances occur where people have been biz.
Ten by them, and fatal effects have never
come 70 the knowledge OF this writer, the
larantulas generally being more anxious
than the other party 10 get out Of the way.