Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1891-05-09
LIFE In A BIG DESERT.
CREATURES THAT INTEREST The
LONELY TRAVELLER.

; Insects, Birds aud Reptiles Found In the
| sand-Fanny Freaks of tho Tarantuia
/ Hawk and the Road Runner-How the
| Latter Worry the Snakes.
| There's plenty Of life on the desert
not crowds Of human insects, rushing
and tearing about like crazy ants, and
keeping up din day and night that is
enough to drive the whole world mad
but interesting, sensible, natural life.
full Of comedy, tragedy and even hu-
NOR. If You feel lonesome you can find
company anywhere BY turning up q
rock or looking under the sagebrnsh.
There's no lack Of ingenious, curious
little creatures whose ways are worth
studying.
Take the tarantula hawk, for example
That's an insect built something like a
wasp, or perhaps more like a devils
darulng needle, and it flies about look
ing for tarantulas just as the hawk scars
about keeping his eye peeled for gophers
and such provender When the hawk
sees taranIula he goes for the big spider.
swoops down upon him, stings him and
gets away like fash. The tarantula
knows that his only show is to get under
cover, and he legs it home in frantic
haste It's fun to see the big, hairy leg
ged bully duck his head and paddle on
through the sand as If the devil were
after him and the devil IS after him
sure enough.
Ii the tarantula is near his house he
may escape by getting to it, tumbling in
head first and shutting the door tight,
but he's sJt to hustle for it, because
little Jack the Giant Killer is a hustler
himself, and keeps jabbiug away ateyery
jump. If the hairy ogre gets caught out
a great way from his castle his name is
Dennis, and he knows it. He flops over
upon his back to make a fight, and If he
could get hold of the hawk IN that posi-
ton he would make short work Of the
little chap, but the hawk sees the trick.
and just Keeps sailing around and wat sh-
ing for an opening, and when lac catches
the spider off guard he darts in, hits him
lick and sets away like a flash.
QUEER BIRDS.
Sometimes the hawk win pretend to
quit and ily away, but the instant the
tarantula is on his feet and scooting for
shelter, whizz! comes the hawk like
bullet and socks it to him in the back Of
the head A few sting5 like that do up
the tarantula. He seems to become
dizzy from the poison, staggers a few
steps and collapses in hairy heap. His
legs twitch few times, and that is the
end of his marvellous career.
I've been calling tho hawk he" all
along, but it isn't that kind Of a bird
The taranEulS Nemesis Ia the female
hawk, SO FAR as | can judge, because aft
or the spider Is knocked out the hawk
proceeds to deposit eggs in the remains,
and | suppose the eggs are Matched by
the heat Of decomposition. Possibly the
purpose Of laying eggs in a lefunct
tarantula Is to provide the young hawks
with grub at the threshold of life, so to
speak. Whatever the scheme may be, it
is death to tarantula, and for that rea-
son nobody ever harms q turantula hawk.
The insects sting is said 10 be poisonous
to men, but never knew one 10 sting a
man.
Then there is the road runner-a JOY
Gus, sociahle little fellow, whose uusi-
ness in lifB is worrying rattlesna d
death. The road runner is bird s
what larger than bluejay, with a sal.
topknot and still saucier tail about
foot in length He runs as fast as
horse ordinarily travels, and if he once
gets into the toad ahead of a horseman
he will race along for hours and can't
be driven out Of the road He could
skip aside and get ont Of the way il he
wanted to, but he seems to think that it
is his mission in life to keep just ahead
of that horse, and nothing can divert
aim from that occupation,
H0 is not in the least alarmed, and
when he gains too much q lead lie VIII
stop and seesaw with his tail and chirrup
merrily until the horse nearly catches
upwlth him. Then away lie goes again. i
as if has life depended upon winning the
race. When he wearies Of the sport he
in the brush