rd was about the
size of a field-lark, and was near the centre of the web; the old spider
was about a foot above the bird: we secured, measured, and bottled him.
Its dimensions were six inches across the legs, and it was armed with a
formidable pair of mandibles."[162]

It is clear, then, that there is nothing absurd or contrary to
probability in the statement that spiders attack, overcome, and devour
birds. But Madame Merian is here again favoured with direct witnesses to
sustain her good faith. M. Moreau de Jonnes expressly mentions, on his
own authority, that the South American Mygale climbs the branches of
trees to devour the young of humming-birds. But the most satisfactory
statement is made by Mr H. W. Bates, who has recently returned from the
interior of Brazil after many years spent in studying the entomology of
that vast region. No one will deny his competency as a witness. "Now I
will relate to you," he says, "what I saw in the month of June 1849, in
the neighbourhood of Cameta. I was attracted by a curious movement of
the large gray-brown Mygale on the trunk of a vast tree: it was close
beneath a deep crevice or chink in the tree, across which this species
weaves a dense web, open for its exit and entrance at one end. In the
present instance the lower part of the web was broken, and two pretty
small finches were entangled in its folds; the finch was about the size
of the common siskin of Europe, and I judged the two to be male and
female; one of them was quite dead, but secured in the broken web; the
other was under the body of the spider, not quite dead, and was covered
in parts with the filthy liquor or saliva exuded by the monster. I was
on my return from a day's excursion by land at the time, with my boxes
full of valuable and delicate insects, and six miles from my house, and
therefore could not have brought the specimens home, even if I had
wished, which I did not, as the spider was a very common species, easily
to be procured nearer home. The species I cannot name; I sent several
fine specimens, stuffed, to London, in 1851; it is wholly of a
gray-brown colour, and clothed with coarse pile. Doubtless you will
immediately know the exact species to which I refer.

"If the Mygales did not prey upon vertebrated animals, I do not see how
they could find sufficient subsistence.

[Illustration: BIRD-EATING SPIDER.]

"On the extensive sandy campos of Santarem, so bare in vegetation, there
are hundreds of th