Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-24
LOST ATYPUS, RARE TARANTULA,
FOUND AT CHESAPEAKE BEACH
Mysterious and Colorful Spider Is Dis
covered for Third Time in History
Near Washington.

Probably the most remarkable SPIDER
found in Washington, according to
Shoemaker, is one of the trap-door
tarantulaS. This creature digs a bur-
structs a perfectly fitting roof Of moss
or gravel bound together with strands
OF silk, which 1t attaches to the bur-
row with two short, stout and very
strong hinges Of silk. When this door
is closed the burrow Is perfectly con-
cealed.
When in danger this spider goes into
its burrow. closes the door, and holds
1t shut with It's front legs and fangs.
It Is distinguished by peculiar project
ing parts of the mouth equipped with
rough teeth for digging. Ordinarily
one Of them would not be seen once In
q life time.
Another local spider builds a thin,
cylindrical tower of twigs, moss or gravel
around the opening of his burrow. Con-
cealed in this tower 1t waits for its prey
to 60 by. Sometimes these spider towers
are more than a half inch high. This
creature is a close relative of the largest
of local spiderS-a brownish black Spe-
cies with a leg stretch of about two
and-a-half inches, which hides under
stones.
Perfect Divers.
Washington also Is the home of one
Of the true water spiders, creatures
which run along the top Of still water,
living on the larvae of dragon flies and
May flies But they are perfect divers
and pounce upon small minnows. drag
ging them to the surface and sucking
the body juices from them at leisure.
These spiders come up perfectly dry
after . diva fact probably explained
by a fine fuzz surrounding the body and
holding layer Of air. There may also
be an oily secretion which keeps on
the water.
Some of the most remarkable spiders
brought to the National Museum come
from the interiors of the Virginia caves.
Some Of these spiders live as much as
mile from the entrance in complete
darkness and are entirely blind. Their
only neighbors are small. blind insects
upon which they feed. They are very
alert and hard to catch probably com
pensating for their lack OF eyesight by
extremely we'll developed tactual and
chemical sensibilities.
Although spiders are seldom seen.
with the exception of one or two
species, Shoemaker says. they are very
abundant In the District-a fact which
can be demonstrated by taking home
handful of leaves or moss in Winter
and putting it in a goldfish jar. Within
with young spiders. 1t Is also shown
by the shining lines of silk which
sometimes seem to fill the atmosphere
at sunset Each line indicates the pas
sage Of a spider. One of these animals
cannot move anywhere without leaving
q strand behind it.
But although extremely numerous,
the mortality rate among young
spiders Is enormous. They are believed
to eat each other before emerging from
the cocoon. This is the most likely
explana ton advanced for the fact that
when the young come from the cocoon
they are considerably larger than the
egg and there has been no other food
available. One theory has been sd
vanced. says Shoemaker. that they feed
directly on sunlight. like plants.
They also suffer an enormous mortal
ity from the ravageS of mud wasps.
One Of these insects will paralyze dozens
Of spiders and take them, still alive but
helpless, to It's nest, where 1t leaves
them as food for its young when they
hatch. The sting is placed so skillfully
that the nervous system OF the spider
Is paralyZed, but the creature lives two
or three weeks. Thus when the young
mud wasp matches 1t will have plenti-
full supply of fresh meat. 1t will not
eat dead food.
Granting that all spiders are poison
ous," says Shoemaker, the superStitiouS
dread In which they are held, especially
by women, is hard to understand. since
they seldom do any harm, will bite only
of good. But the fear of spiders seems
to be bred into the human race and
can be overcome only by an effort of
the will