Texas Nature Observations and Reminiscenses Page: 15
323 p. : ill., ports. ; 26 cm.View a full description of this book.
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TEXAS NATURE OBSERVATIONS AND REMINISCENCES. 15
in third row, last two photos).
I prepared the accompanying
separate photograph of two poison
fangs of the same species of taran-
tula as the one described above,
the specimens being also sent by
Mr. 1)enton fiom Fort McIntosh.
The venorm of these animals seems
to be stored away, so to say, in
the mandiblles, between the flesh
(muscular tissue) in ducts of two
separate cavities which communi-
cate with the poison fang. The
photos show the right and left
mandibles opene(l artificially, theboth mandibles and the fangs are
instantly put in motion in an
erect posture, and the fangs are
suddenly plunged or hooked in
the flesh of the victim, when an
infinitesimal quantity of the dead-
ly poison is injected into the
tissues and absorbed by the capil-
lary circulation. On examining
the original tarantula mandibles
sent by Mr. Denton, with a mag-
nifying glass, both of the fangs
showed at the upper curvature
and close to the apex, a very
minute outlet, and the lower photoTEXAS TARANTULA (wITH RAT IT KILLED.)
upper one in part and the lower
one in its entirety up to the apex
of the curved poison-claw or fang,
showing both specimens magni-
fied about three times their nor-
mal size. The mandibles and fang
consist externally of a hard, dark
brown shell, and both mandibles
are covered with black, hairy
bristles. When at rest, the curved
fangs are retracte(l toward the
base of the mandible but when
in the act of inoculating its
victims (as noticed by Dr. Lange
and myself in the case of the rat)herein shows the thin wire piece
which had been placed through
the artificially opened mandible
cavity along the opened fang,
with its exit near the point of
the fang, resembling in this respect
the anatomical arrangement of
the rattlesnake fang.
Finally, the miniature photos
show an interesting group of mos-
quito-larvae (first row, second
view), with stinging apparatus,
and nearly fully developed, to
escape their watery element, and
also depicted in the separate photo-
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Menger, R. Texas Nature Observations and Reminiscenses, book, 1913; San Antonio, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth143558/m1/19/: accessed March 29, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting University of Texas Health Science Center Libraries.