The Cambridge natural history, Vol. 04 (of 10)Warburton, Cecil
Science
The Cambridge natural history, Vol. 04 (of 10)
Warburton, Cecil
Animals
Pocock has recently discovered that all the large kinds of Theraphosidae
in the countries between India and New Zealand are, like _Chilobrachys_,
provided with a stridulating organ. In these spiders also it is between
the palp and the chelicera, and consists of a row of teeth or spines
constituting a “pecten,” and a series of vibratile spines or “lyra,” but
whereas in _Chilobrachys_ and its near relations the lyra is on the palp
and the pecten on the paturon, in other spiders the positions are
reversed. The lyra is a very remarkable organ, consisting of
club-shaped, often feathery bristles or spines, which lie parallel to
the surface to which they are attached, and which is slightly excavated
for their reception.
Lastly, many African Theraphosids possess a similar organ, not between
the palp and the chelicera, but between the palp and the first leg.
Various suggestions have been hazarded as to the use of these organs,
but they partake largely of the nature of conjecture, especially in
connexion with the doubt as to the possession of a true auditory organ
by the Araneae. They may be summarised as follows. The Theridiid spiders
are among those which show most indication of auditory powers, and the
stridulating organs, being practically confined to the male, may have a
sexual significance. _Chilobrachys_ stridulates when attacked, assuming
at the same time a “terrifying attitude,” and its stridulating organ may
serve the purpose attributed to the rattle of the rattlesnake, and warn
its enemies that it is best let alone. If this be the case, there is no
need that it should itself hear the sound, and, indeed, there is no
evidence that the Aviculariidae possess the power of hearing. In the
inoffensive stridulating Sicariid spiders the sounds could hardly serve
this purpose, and the presence of the organ in both sexes, and in
immature examples, precludes the idea that its function is to utter a
sexual call. Instead of trying to escape when disturbed, the spider
starts stridulating, and Pocock suggests that the similarity of the
sound produced to the buzzing of a bee may be calculated to induce its
enemies to leave it in peace.
=Internal Anatomy.=
=Alimentary System.=—The alimentary canal of the Spider is divided into
three regions, the “stomodaeum,” the mid-gut or “mesenteron,” and the
hind-gut or “proctodaeum.”
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