The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1886-09-04
CURIOUS TRAMPs FROM AsPlNwALL.
Spiders That Come to This Country in
lunches of Bananas.

Spiders That Come to This Country in
lunches of Bananas.
"Look out for the trampsl" said fruit
dealer the other day.
The reporter was admiring the bright |
buff color of bunch of bananas, when |
big ugly spider crawled out and ambled |
along on the counter. He was bundle |
of dark brown fuzz about the size of
your thumb, into which were stuck sew
eral long, black legs.
He was tramp all the way from As
pinwall. And, like tramp who had
stolen a ride under freight car on a
brakeman, his legs seemed cramped from
the long journey in the crevices of a
bunch Of bananas. The poor fellow was
at loss where to go. Hewas thousands
of miles from home and friendless, for
people do not take kindly to big, ugly
| spiders. He was a tramp and in a
strange country.
| 1--WE killed one here the other night
with body as big as biscuit. His body
popped like torpedo. They come often
in bananas, but we generally manage to
kill them. Up at the old store one es-
capped and made his home under the
counter. Then another escaped and for
long time we lost sight of them. One
day we found web under the counter,
and on looking closer we discovered the
two tramps. They had raised large
family of spiders, and they were the
cutest little things you would care to see.
They ran nimbly into the web
if you made motion to touch them,
and many a day we have watched them
simply for the amusement. They caught
every fly that came within range, and
now and then a bug happened within
their reach and varied their bill of fare.
Although we knew they were dangerous
pets we did not disturb them, for the
reason that they seemed to be industri-
GUS ay-catchers, and were never in
clined to sting. One afternoon new
clerk saw one big fellow run around a
corner of the counter, and as he had
never seen spider Of such enormous
size, he imagined that to allow it to &C
l at large was equivalent to turning 6
. tiger loose, and he killed the pet. The
others ran out and for about an houi
the new clerk had as much as he coulC
5 stand up to killing spiders"
!. "Do they ever bite?"
ayes, but it is a rare occurrence. The,
= fight like wildcats, and they are high
i tempered, but they never trouble any
d body unless aroused and leased. AL
4 though there are millions of punches o
bananas brought to this country ever
season, and many a spider steals his wa
l. across with them, you never hear Of an
one being stung. They are very peculia
Y things and differ widely in their habit
/ from the common spider of this cour
p try, which makes a web like the centel
piece of rising-sun crazy quilt. The
, make kind of nest and then spread OIL
Is lines of web in every direction
70 On this angle line, which
as small as a sillken thread the
u run with ease, hanging to it /
he their long, flexible legs. When dai
IN ger threatens they have a way of draN
= ing in their lines and, budding togethe
u await the attack of the foe. When thu
W disturbed they make prodigious lea
no and arrange in a circle around the mes
which they seem to guard with jealo
care. Then, wher9provoked, they II
ed all over the attacking party. They a
!, game, and put up an ugly fight. IN
con (Ga.) Telegraph.