. Animate creation : popular edition of "Our living world" : a natural history. Zoology; Zoology. 498 THE WOLF-SPIDER. attributable to a similar cause. As soon as the music ceased to play, the patients ceased to dance, and fell back into the profound stupor from which the brisk sounds had aroused them. The disease was evidently a nervous affection, tending to propagate itself, like chorea and hys- teria at the present daj', and, in fact, seems to be little more or less than a rather aggravated form of the fomier of these maladies—if, indeed, they are not different developments of the
. Animate creation : popular edition of "Our living world" : a natural history. Zoology; Zoology. 498 THE WOLF-SPIDER. attributable to a similar cause. As soon as the music ceased to play, the patients ceased to dance, and fell back into the profound stupor from which the brisk sounds had aroused them. The disease was evidently a nervous affection, tending to propagate itself, like chorea and hys- teria at the present daj', and, in fact, seems to be little more or less than a rather aggravated form of the fomier of these maladies—if, indeed, they are not different developments of the same ailments. That the tarantismus should be cured by music and consequent dancing, is a natural result. The patient indulged in long and continuous exercise, fell into a violent perspiration, fell exhausted, slept calmly, and awoke cured. The Spider, upon wliom the odium of this strange disease rested, is perfectly innocent, being as harmless to man as any other Spider, and only formidable to the insects on which it preys. Another species of Lycosa, inhabiting the south of France, has sometimes been confounded with the true Tarantula of Italy. The halnts of this species have been carefully studied by M. Olivier, and have afforded some interesting details respecting the economy of the creatui'e. It frequents dry and iincultivated soils, and sinks therein a little pit, of a depth vai-ying with its size and the length of its residence. The interior of this cell is strengthened with a web. At the entrance of this Inirrow it sits watching for its prey, and as soon as an unfoitunate insect i)asses within range, it darts forward, seizes it in its talons, and bears the victim away to its den, where it feasts in peace and solitude. The female is a kind parent, and extremely fond of lier eggs and young. She envelopes the eggs in silk, and forms them into a globular ball, which she always carries about with her until the young are hatched. When the time comes for the little spiders t
Size: 1888px × 1323px
Photo credit: © Library Book Collection / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookauthorbr, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectzoology
