The Arizona sentinel., 1886-06-26


 cred with layer after lHyer of silk, so that it is convex, forming silken pad. l the use of which is evident when an at tempt is made to open the door, the mandibles of the tenant being fastened to it, while the spider braces back with its legs against the walls and holds it down. So effectual is this method of closing the portcullis that often the hinge is torn apart before the spider will release h1s hold. On one occasion when the door did give, the infuriated insect released its hold and sprang at least twelve inches at the offender, showing decidedly aggressive nature.
 The ferocity of these insect tigers, however, is displayed when in chase of prey, and the size of the animals they attack is sometimes astonishing. A large one has been seen to attack young gopher. The latter had tunneled along the edge of an adobe tract, com ing up within two or three feet of the door of large spiders trap, and soon began series of short and cratic mi grations from its hole; each time load ing its pouches with bits of grass and weed. The spider, in making its trap, had fastened in bit of the latter, and when this was pulled out by the gopher the hinge gave way, and in second a ball of hair and fur was rolling about, and twelve legs and claws were grasp ing the air. The spider had rushed out suddenly, and with quick leap seized the unlucky gopher near the throat, and had evidently penetrated it with its poi son mandibles. The gopher, terrified at the assault, at first backed toward its hole, but the pain caused it to defend it. self and the two were soon in a san guinary struggle; the spider merely re- taining its hold, relying upon its poi son, while the gopher struck and paved the insect with its claws, also endeavor- ing to use its powerful teeth. The re- suit of this was that the ground for sev- eral inches about was soon covered with gopher's blood and spiders hair and legs. Over and over the combatants rolled. Finally the gopher, rising on its hind legs, tore the spider off and staggered to its hole. where it undoubt- edly succumbed.
 The poison of these spiders is proba- bly, more virulent one time than anoth- CT, and is absurdly exaggerated in Mex ico, where I have been told that to even allow tarantula to walk over person during the intense heat of Summer, would be productive of fatal results. The truth is, that in certain cases the bite proves fatal, just as people have been killed by the bite of wasp, the fright and nervous shock acting together to produce such a deadly result. The ma iority of small birds, mammals and rep tiles often succumb to the poison. The great spider does much of its foraging at night; attacking the mole, crickets, mice and various insects that suit its palate. In some experiments tried with mouse and tarantula, this being the popular name in this section, both being placed in a box together, the former showed immediately its distress and ter ror Either bitter experience or instinct warned it that the hide ous creature was a mortal enemy. The spider remained perfectly quiet, but the unfortunate quadruped lost its head and darted over the hairy insect, whereupon fierce struggle was commenced. Their movements could be followed, but in less than three min utes the spider was torn in pieces by the little animal, that a few minutes later dropped upon its side, gasped and died.
 The tarantula has few enemies. Some of the large insectivor- ous birds Gas the butcher bird) would probably attack it, but its enemies may practically be confined to a large insect called the tarantula hawk, that seems to be the only insect that knows the open sesame of the big spider The latter when returning to its trap at full speed, can lift the lid and slide in so delicately that its disappear ance appears almost miraculous. It would seem as though the hawk watched this performance, as it finds the trap with comparative ease, lifts the silk door and darts in, overpowering the spider and killing or paralyzing it. In the body it deposits its eggs. The latter in time hatch, the young tarantula hawks feeding upon the body that had formed their birthplace. Thus the hawk not only destroys the great spider but con- verts its body into storehouse for its eggs and the trap for a home for the coming brood, who, perhaps, have got their first suggestions as to tarantula- hunting. This method of providing for the future young is found among large number of this tribe, and when it is re- membered that many of them only para lyze their victims, putting them on ice as it were, so that they will sleep until the eggs that have been deposited in the body are matched it will be considered most remarkable.
 The tarantula finds one willy victim that it only captures by piecemeal, and that by accident. The little brown lizard that frequents the clearings is sometimes caught mapping, and before it can escape the huge spider is upon it, and seizes the slender tail, confident perhaps of a dinner. But nature has provided the lizard with method of escape. The first crunch of the mandi- ble into the delicate skin and the tail is completely whisked of, the cunning lizard darting away and leaving the dry but squirming caudal extremity be- hind. At times the body of the lizard is seized, when the victim soon ceases his struggles, probably quickly over- come by the virulent poison.
 It would seem a difficult feat to tame a tarantula, yet they are susceptible to kind treatment and will recognize their owners or the one that feeds them, and crawl over his arm without offering to dine thereupon. A green spider that I have had upon my desk until within few days, that was remarkable for its mimicry, being the exact tint of the stems of the flower upon which it lived, was so tame that it fed from my hand, taking fles as provided them.
 Scorpions that have been familiar with in Florida and the tropics in wood exclusively and under board piles,