New York City.
In Harper's Young People No. 12 I read about some curious South American spiders that kill birds, and the other day I read in an English paper an account by Mr. Frank Buckland of an enormous spider which is kept in a glass case in the London Zoological Gardens, and I thought the little readers of Young People might be interested to know about it. This spider, says Mr. Buckland, came from South America. He is about as large as a common house-sparrow with its wings folded, and when he spreads his legs he is a terrible-looking fellow. The whole of his body is covered with dark red-brown hair. He eats cockroaches, and spins threads to catch them. He will also kill and suck the blood of young mice when they are given to him. Such a gigantic creature could very easily capture and kill humming-birds. On page 648 you will find a picture of this terrible bird-eating spider.
It is evident that Shakspeare knew of the great strength of certain spiders. In Measure for Measure the Duke says:
"How may likeness, made in crimes,
Making practice on the times,
Draw with idle spiders' strings
Most pond'rous and substantial things!"
These large spiders are very common in Cuba, as well as in South America, and are probably found in all tropical countries. In Cuba lives the big hairy tarantula. Its home is a hole in the ground, and boys often amuse themselves by running pieces of sweet-flag in the hole. The tarantula is fond of sucking the juice of this plant, and will immediately fasten itself to the root, when the boys pull it out and examine the curious creature. There is in Cuba a large flat-bodied spider that lives in trees, and wages terrible warfare on young birds. It is a very common sight in Cuban forests to see these creatures, their long legs grasping a young bird which they have entangled in their strong web, as a devil-fish grasps its prey, and busily engaged in sucking the blood of their helpless victim.
R. R.