. . ^ a distance oftwelve miles. Before start-ing, I took the precaution tocover my hands with gaunt-lets, and to swathe myhead in handkerchiefs untilI looked like a the time I reached Vic-toria, myself and portionsof the horse were complete-ly covered with masses ofmosquitoes, clinging to eachother and hanging in greatfestoons. vSix quarts ofthem could easily havebeen scraped from myclothing and the benst Irode. Such a ravenousgathering of these insects Inever saw, before nor since. DANIEL w. CLUFF, While we were at N*ew (K
. . ^ a distance oftwelve miles. Before start-ing, I took the precaution tocover my hands with gaunt-lets, and to swathe myhead in handkerchiefs untilI looked like a the time I reached Vic-toria, myself and portionsof the horse were complete-ly covered with masses ofmosquitoes, clinging to eachother and hanging in greatfestoons. vSix quarts ofthem could easily havebeen scraped from myclothing and the benst Irode. Such a ravenousgathering of these insects Inever saw, before nor since. DANIEL w. CLUFF, While we were at N*ew (K1,,KAL> companv f, sixty-fourth,Orleans I met an officer who had spent a year in western Texas,when General Banks was iu command of the of our expected departure for that region, I asked himif the mosquitoes were not troublesome. He answered that hedid not see a single mosquito there. I expressed surprise at this,whereupon he continued: I said I did not see a single one. This is true, for they areall married and have tremendous families[. 752 wl- FINP THF. TARANTILA. [August, Here we found the tarantula, a repulsive looking animal, toolarge to he called an insect, and properly classed among is nothing more nor less than an exaggerated spider. Hisbite is venomous, and often fatal. He was known to comparative!}few of the northern soldiers, as he is only found in the extremesouthern latitude of the United States, and but rarely outside ofTexas. He lives in the ground, and comes out of his hole towander about in quest of prey. He frequently made his appear- ance in the camps of the Fourth corps. We did notknow what to make of himat first, but the matter soonbecame serious. Onemorning a soldier of theFortieth Indiana was bittenin the foot by a tarantula,which during the night hadcrept into one of his sin •The poisonous naturethe reptile was not realizeduntil it was too late, andthe man died in a fewhours. It is well known thatcopious draughts of
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