The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1886-06-25

tnat IL is convex, forming Sllken pad, |
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 |
will release his 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 a
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 erratic mi
grations from its hole; each time load
ing its pouches with bits of grass and
weed. The spider, in making it's trap,
had fastened in bit of the latter, and
when this was pulled out by the gopher
the hinge gave way, and in q 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
culinary struggle; the spider merely re-
tanning 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 sew
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-
er, and is absurdly exaggerated in Mex
| leo, where have been told that to even
allow a 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 a wasp, the fright
and nervous shock acting together to
produce such deadly result The ma
| jority 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 %onss a1d and Tadi49af 9af fat66fats tsat 't
nonnlar name in this section, both BENG
pplaced in a box together, the former
showed Immediately it's distress and ter
4 ror. Either bitter experience OF
;nst;nct warned it that the hlde-
ous creature was mortal enemy
The spider remained perfectiA
} oniet. but the unfortunate quadrupe'
Lost its head and darted over the hair.
: insect. whereupon q fierce struggle wa
!, commenced. Their movements coul'
n l,e followed. but in less than three min
: ntes the spider was torn in pieces by IN
y LITTLE animal, that few minutes iate
dropped upon its side, gasped and oie'
/, Tbe tarantula has few enemle
i sonne Of the large insectivo
re ons birds Gas the butch
l. b;rdl would probably attack it, b
S, ;ts enemies may practically be coniln
Us to a LARGE insect called the tarantu
e. hawk. that seems to be the only inse
IL that knows the open sesame OF the (
it snider. The latter when returning
he its trap at full speed, can lift the liu a
ly, slide in so delicately that Its dlsappe
ler ance appears almost miraculous.
ate would seem as though the hawk water
all this performance, as 1T hnds tne y
on with comparative ease, lifts the SILK q
'ae. and darts in, overpowering the spi
Irst and killing or paralyzing 1t. IN
lult body it deposits its eggs. Inc iatlei
an time hatch, the young tarantusa ha
ex- feeding upon the body that haa lGr'
son their Birthplace. Thus the hawk
the only destroys the great SPIDER pus e.,
and verts it's body into storehouse ~
lder eggs and the trap for hohe iol
II OF coming brood, who, perhaps nave
airs: their first suggestions as 70 ;l;n' latan
IS OF hunting This method OF prosio,nii
llcal the future young IS found anfohs
nnmber of this tribe, and when 1t
aica, membered that many of them only
d, in I'VE their victims, putting them o
eem- % II were, SO that they will sleep.
cleo the eoos that have been deposited !
that hodv are hatched it will be consi'
, ana most remarkable.
! can The tarantula finds one willy
e OBJ .hat II only captures by piecemeal
st be .ao M ~ ~, oooident The little
| that by dccluoho-
nrhg lizard that frequents the ciearl !,
!. the sometimes caught mapping, ana
ith . its it can escape the huge spider, is W
the and seizes the slender tail, con
'ut by nerhaps of dinner. But natu
ell as provided the lizard with a met
pro- escape. The first crunch OF the
PIT ble into the delicate skin and the
nch IN completely whisked off, the G!
ccom- lizard darting away and ieavl
the IN dry but squirming caudal extren
d the hind. At times the body OF the
,epeat- M = sa;zad when the victim soon
the IN IN, his struggles, probably. quickly
wall come by the virulent poison.
wa.eIo ao II would seem difficult feat
fnrm Eaame a tarantula, yet they are suscep
oaaas ionm kind treatment and will recognl
q aoaoso owners or the one that feeds the
IS oon crawl over his arm without oif'
: sa,,ltis sas l;ts dine thereupon. A green spid1e
APPS p,snL u.Lo have had upon my desk until
!, ~ WIZ III few DAYS, that was remarkanle
lSn I'LL, sun nf mimicry, being the exact TIM
ssn.n y, stems of tho flower upon which
PuS PtSn In was so tame that it fed from n
ouuyi taking fies as provided them'