. Annual report - Entomological Society of Ontario. Entomological Society of Ontario; Insect pests -- Periodicals; Insects -- Ontario Periodicals. 50 "At Cameta," he relates, " I chanced to verify a fact relating to the habits of a large hairy spider of the genus Mygale, in a manner worth recording. The individual was nearly two inches in length of body, but the legs expanded seven inches, and the entire body and legs were covered with coarse grey and reddish hairs. I was attracted by a movement of the monster on a tree-trunk, it was close beneath a deep crevice in the tree, acr
. Annual report - Entomological Society of Ontario. Entomological Society of Ontario; Insect pests -- Periodicals; Insects -- Ontario Periodicals. 50 "At Cameta," he relates, " I chanced to verify a fact relating to the habits of a large hairy spider of the genus Mygale, in a manner worth recording. The individual was nearly two inches in length of body, but the legs expanded seven inches, and the entire body and legs were covered with coarse grey and reddish hairs. I was attracted by a movement of the monster on a tree-trunk, it was close beneath a deep crevice in the tree, across which was stretched a dense white web. The lower part of tlie web was broken, and two small birds, finches, were entangled in the pieces. One of them was quite dead, the other lay under the body of the spider not quite dead, and was smeared with the filthy liquor or saliva exuded by the monster. I drove away the spider and took the birds, but the second one soon died. I found the circumstance to be quite a novelty to the residents hereabouts. The Mygales are quite common insects ; some species make their cells under stones, others form artistic tunnels in the earth, and some build their dens in tlae thatch of houses. The natives call them crab spiders. The hairs with which they are clothed come off when touched and cause a peculiar and almost maddening irritation. Some Mygales are of immense size. One day I saw the children belonging to an Indian family who collected for me, with one of these monsters secured by a cord around its waist, by which they were leading it about the house as they would a dog !" Other writers relate that the spiders of this family attack humming-birds, lizards, cockroaches, ants, etj. The Dysderidcp constitute a small family of spiders which are chiefly remarkable for possessing only six eyes, instead of the normal number of eight. Tliey are usually found under stones or in holes in the earth ; they lie with their legs drawn up under them, hvX
Size: 1153px × 2166px
Photo credit: © Library Book Collection / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookauthorontariod, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, bookyear1879
