A Poisonous Spider.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5257, 13 May 1895, Page 3

A Poisonous Spider.

Eocently a man- named Donnelly was admitted to the Ckristchurch Hospital suffering from a bad carbuncle, which he stated had been caused by his having been bitten by a spider while lying in his bed in a hut at Port Eobiuson. He said that the epider in. question was not a katipo, but had a bright brown body about as large as the" firsb joint of a man's thumb and long hairy black legs. He also stated that the "old handa" about the place knew the dangerous nature of these creatures, and warned the other men to look-out for them and kill them.. There is, he asserts, another large spider there somewhat similar in appearance, but with a black body, and harmless. It has been suggested that the large spider which bit the man Donnelly at Port Eobinaon may have been a tarantula, • but inquiries on the matter tend to dispel that notion. The tarantula is not a native ( of New Zealand, and it is not e'aßy to see how it could have been introduced here. Again, the man's rough and unscientific description of his assailant," a large spider, with brown body and black, hairy legs," hardly corresponds with that of the tarantula; indeed, it is co obscure that it is difficult to know what kind of arachnid is meant. Perhaps, however, it may be a species of mygale. There are Heveral large spiders in New Zealand; and aa I m any spiders are more or less poisonous, it is not surprising that a bite from one of them should produce the symptoms from which Donnelly ia Buffering, i.e., something similar to a carbuncle. There is therefore no reason for supposing that the terrible tarantula has been added to our list of acclimatised pets.

A Sfc Petersburg millionaire has just died suddenly in spite of a curious pre- I caution which he had taken to prolong hiß I life. Ten yeara ago be built a magnificent bathing establishment near St Petersburg, which ho never opened, because a gipsy had told him that he would die at the opening ceremony. The story of Nero and his soothsayer, -which is also told of Louis XI. and his astrologer, hao found a parallel even in these sceptical daya.