SCORPION SPIDER. Species of the genus Galeodes, or scorpion spiders, occur iu Central Asia, Tartary, and in the Himalaya. The scorpion spiders common on the steppes, aro the Galeodes aranoides (Phalangium aranoides of Pallas). The Galeodes (or Solpuga) aro dreaded for their bites, reputed to be envenomed ; but this is now denied by naturalists. This very formidable and most voracious spider is a terrible pest on the Astracan steppe, where its bite is much dreaded by the Kalmuks, who call it the black widow (bel bussan charra). They harbour chiefly under the tufts of wormwood, and about the bones which are always to be found near a Kalmuk habitation, and also at the rnouth of the deserted nests of the Spermophilus citillus, where they collect a sort of bed of leaves. Camels seem to suffer most from these spiders, because they are most addicted to lying on the ground.
Galeodes vorax, Hutton, of Northern India, feeds at night on beetles, flies, and even large lizards, sometinicco gorging itself to such a degree aa to become almost unable to move, and reinain int; torpid and motionless for about a fortnight.
A sparrow, as also a musk-rat (Sorex I ndictut), put along with it, were killed by it. It was seen to attack a youug sparrow half-grown, anti ACiZe it by the thigh, which it Hawed through, then caught the bird by the throat, and put an end to its, sufferings by cutting off its heacl. Dr. 13addcley confined one under a glass NI all-shade with two young musk-rata (Sorex Indicus), both of which it destroyed. In neither instance did the galeodes devour its prey after killing it. Capt. T. Hutton, in the eleventh volume of the Asiatic Society's Journal, p. 860, makes mention of a lizard bitten by one being allowed to escape with only a severe wound on the side, and AS it lived for some days before being permitted to run off, the bite of the galeodes would not appear to be poisonous.— Gosse, pp. 237, 238 ; Tenn. Ceylon, p. 470; Capt. Hutton, in Jour. As. Soc. of Ben. xi. part ii. p. 860.