The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1891-06-13
THE TEXAS TARANTULA.
NOT so NUMEROUS AS rs GEN.
ERALLY SUPPOSED.
Neither 10 His Bite Half So Deadly -
Generally Rspressnted--A Repul-
sivs Looking Thing. but
Seldom Mot With.

eive Looking Inings out
Seldom Mot with.
The impression prevails among
eastern people. that the large, hairy
spider, known as the tarantula, Is SO
common In Texas as to make even
sleeping dangerous and difficult The
truth Is that tarantulas are somewhat
rare. During residence OF fifteen
years In Texas. says q writer in the
Philadelphia Times, have seen but
two live tarantulas, most OF my ac-
quaintance with the tribe having been
confined 10 the half-dozen specimens ]
have seen neatly preserved in alcohol.
They are sufficiently repulsive in APP
pearance. however, to impress the be-
holder with the conviction that
the country is full OF them, when
he has, by any chance, stumbled
upon one. The creature goes walking
leisurely along, with none OF the
stealthy creeping or swift scampering
OF its smaller and less dignified rela-
tives. 1t does not even think it nee
essary to give. the road to any individ-
ual it may chance to meet. but walks
serenely on, the very Sullivan OF the
insect tribe. AS general thing. IL
doesn't need TO give the road. the other
party doing that with all possible
haste.
Whom it is attacked it Immediately
''shows fight, and will make the most
surprising leaps, sometimes springing
upon its discounted enemy, who can
not get rid Of it fast enough. 1t looks
sufficiently formidable to make the
strongest heart quail. Its huge body
(huge in comparison with other spiders,
1 maan), and its long legs are covered
with q thick growth OF course, stiff
hair The black. horny mandibles
look fully equal to anything cruel or
deadly, and one begins to think that
the stories OF the South American tar
antulas which catch and, devour hum
ming birds, are very tame in comparison.
The prosaic truth is. however, that
the tarantula Is formidable only in
looks. "His bark is waur than his
bite" according to the old Scotch
proverb. The wound swells and red
dens for time, 1t is true, with that
peculiar look spider bite always has, as
though little red veins were branching
off from it, but it produces no slough
ing, and the pain is soon over. The
bite OF the little black garden spider,
Sn insect scarcely larger than pin
hoad. is far more painful and serious.
The imagination of the victim doubt
less causes him to suffer tortures, after
he has been bitten by tarantula, but
let him take comfort; there are worse
insects in many countries.
The Texas tarantula belongs to the
family OF borrowers, and his home is
a long tunnel, sloping downward for
several feet, and then rising and pur-
suing such long and devious way
that it is matter of great difficulty
to dig one Of them out. At the door
OF his house. one catches glimpse
sometimes Of the solitary householder,
looking at the landscape or taking a
breath of fresh air. or, perhaps, wait
ing for some unwary beetle or butter
fly to pass that way. On the slightest
motion he is gone. and there is but the
smooth. round hole, whose sides this
little plasterer has made as hard and
as firm as the sides of an earthen Jug.
The tarantula commits widespread
destruction among the insects in his
neighborhood 1t is but right, there
fore. and according to the natural
order OF things. that he should have
his enemy. too, and be forced to skulk
and hide, and be oftentimes overtaken.
and have his brief holiday of life
brought to a tragic ending. His enemy
is said to be the Texas 'horned frog"
that absurd little burlesque on the
lizard family which abounds on the
Texas plains. The horned frog APP
parently has no eye for beauty, and
his heart must be stranger to the
sensation of fear, since he does not
quail before this grim and hairy mon
ster. which is not many degrees small
er than himself.
The frog waits ut the door Of me
spiders house, as grim and relentless
us the messenger with the bow-string,
his rough gray body lying motionless,
and not to be distinguished from the
earth. So perfect is the
deception and 80 quick are his motions
that even the many-eyed spi6or fails to
detect his presence and incautiously
ventures forth. Quick as flash OF
light his enemy is upon him, and the
fierce struggle begins.
The scaly back and the horny head
OF the frog render the taranula's bites
harmless, and he spends his strength
and fights his battle in vain. In few
minutes the struggle is over, and the
frog devours his victim, wearing mean
while an expression Of beatitude i'm
possible to describe. The wanderer
about the fields will find nowhere a
more wonderful picture than this con-
test between two OF the strangest
creatures that ever met, fought and
died upon the field Of conflict.