The record-union., 1897-06-17
A FEROCIOUS INSECT.
An Object of Dread in the Forests o
the GuianaS.

If asked to name the thing 1 most
dreaded when in the tropical forests on
the Savannas, l think it would be the
centipede. Scorpions are bad enough
some species of ants are extremely trou-
blesome. various minute insects, like
the "bete rouge or red bug, the chigoe
or ''jigger,'' and the "garrapata" or
woodtick, are things to be avoided: but
the centipede is by far the worst of them
all. 1t has not as it's name would in
dictate. hundred feet but it has be-
tween thirty and forty, each one poi
sonous. And once let a centiDede get
on your skin and become alarmed, no
power on earth can remove it quickly
enough to prevent it from digging its
venomous claws into your flesh. 1t
moves with the celebrity of creased
lightning" and whenever seen running
across an open floor appears like a
brown steak
There is one other object more horri-
bic to contemplate, and that is the tar
antula, which also moves with sur
prising quickness. 1t does not glide,
however, like thing of evil, as the CEN
tipede does; but leaps directly at one
l remember well my first attempt to
capture one, in the beautiful botanical
garden of Martinique in the West In
dies. / was strolling along the avenue
of stately palms (since destroyed by a
hurricane), when I saw a big tarantula
directly in the path before me. half hid
den beneath the dead leaf of a bread
fruit tree. I had a stick in my hand,
and poked the spider to make it get into
the open. Instead of turning about to
escape, it made a leap for my hand,
which it missed only few inches. That
was enough for me; l did not crave a
live tarantula for my collection though
a moment later there was a dead spider
in the path Even in death it is an ugly
appearing thing, large and hairy, with
legs that would stretch across saucer.
On another occasion I saw a tarantula
on the wall of a hut by the roadside,
right over the doorway through which
the occupants of the hut, a black woman
and her children, were constantly pass
ing. I called their attention to the
creature, but they merely glanced at it
carelessly and allowed it to retreat into
the thatch of the roof.
There is, however, one spider larger
than the common tarantula which is
abundant enough to be an object of
dread in the forests of the Guianas. This
is the great Bird Spider, the 'Mygale
avicularia,'' which catches and kills not
only birds but lizards, other small rep
tiles, and even young chickens. 1t
builds it's nests in the trees, and there
lies in wait, just as the house spider does
for flies, leaping upon it's victim like a
tiger 1t is, in fact. the tiger of the
tribe, and is justly feared by both birds
and human beings.
In my excursions into the woods I used
to pass an old tree, the trunk of which
was slightly followed. Beneath the
overhanging bark above the hollow a
family of bats had affixed themselves,
six of them, banking by their toes, noses
downward. They always chung in the
form of a triangle, three bats in the
upper row, then a row of two, a single
bat at the bottom. One day l missed the
lowermost one, but the next day his
place had been supplied. The following
day two were gone; and when
1 inquired of my negro guide the reason
and manner of his taking off, he in
formed me that probably bird spider
had captured him.
At another time Il was hunting along
the shore for small birds, among the
sea- grapes, the hanging racemes of
creamy white flowers attracting birds
and insects, owing to the honey which
they contained. The first bird I shot
there was black and yellow sugar
eater SO called from it's liking for
sugar and all sweet things, a frequent
visitor to the sugar plantations during
the boiling season. 1t fell, as l fired
into a dense cluster of sea grapes; an
other bird attracted my attention just
then, and first noting the location of
the one I had shot, 1 went in pursuit
of the second. l soon returned, but
could not find my bird though l knew
he must be somewhere near. AS /
was peering through the leaves. how
ever, a slight rustling drew my at
tention to a very comical sight 1t
was a lizard, which, with one foot
placed upon the bird, was intently
watching me with his diamond bright