Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1891-01-01

a.. tells of remarkable fight be wit
messed between large tarantula and
a colony Of red anita. he had Just
returned from Jack county, where in
the canyons and hills he had been
hunting. In the afternoon of one
day he encountered large specimen
of the tarantula which abounds in
Texas. He did not dare to touch or
even 20 near the deadly insect. which
was about Eve inches in length and
Of a rather greenish hue. but he got a
long stick, one end of which he split,
and by a dexterous manipulation
secured the tarantula between the
prongs. which, coming together, held
it tight enough to prevent its escape.
but not enough to ipjure it.
He repaired with it to a hill Of
large red ants, which he had passed
on his tramp short time before. In
the middle of the hill he deposited the
tarantula, releasing it from its i'm
prisonment. Il was Q rather chilly
day, and but few ants were out of
their holes. But these few gathered
around the stranger. looked at it
closely for q brief moment, and then
one by one hurriedly entered the
different small holes within which
were their domiciles. The taraptula
meanwhile was motionless, occasional.
ly blinking its small, sharp eyes, but
not deigning to glance upon the small
insects.
But presently came forth the ants
in a body. Although the talebsar-
ers had entered the hill by different
holes, the warriors all Issued from the
same one. First come a large ant,
aud then the others so closely upon
the heels of each other that the line
looked like a blood-red-string. The
side of the tarantula was about four
inches from where the ants issued from
the cone, and they made straight for
the enemy without loss of time. The
large one in the lead pounced upon
one of the furry legs, and the others
got their teeth in as near by as posi-
bic. There seemed to be an almost
unending string of the ants, and in a
minute and a-half the entire body of
their victim was covered with them
After that the tsrantula did not move
limb scarcely. At FIRST it attempted
to pull away the leg attacked by the
ants, but e nding it fastened it showed
along with the disengaeed legs, NOV
ing perhaps an inch and a-half, but
the remainder of its body was soon
covered with the insects, which de-
voted part of their force to holding
the victim in place. The tarantula
only killed three Of the ants. These
three ventured within reach of the
jaws of the tarantula, which closed
its mouth with snap. ending their
existence instantly.
In four minutes the tarantula was
dead. There was not sign of blood
anywhere on its body, though in many
places were evidences of the fray.
Near the head were scars showing
where the ants had bitten deepest.
Shortly after it closed its eyes and
allowed its head to sag many of the
ants withdrew, but when there was a
convulsive jerk of the leg the ants ran
up again, and this time remained till
every sign of animation was gone.
Then the ants removed the corpse.
1t was q heavy body to move, but
they accomplished it. On the rather
fat top of the hill the pull was hard
and long, but on the incline it was
easier. Arrived at the foot, the ants
deserted the corpse and returned to
their homes, some entering the holes,
others resuming the work they had
been interrupted at when the tarantu-
la came among them.