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playing a rubber at whist, in an open alcove, one of thoselarge grass-hoppers, called locusts, attracted by thelights, settled on the table, close to the elbow of the Britishsecretary. How shall I describe the horror and dismay ofhis (future) “ Excellency!” Up he started,—and up alsostarted the disturbed grass-liopper,—off hopped the stillmore scared diplomatic palid quill-driver, thinking he waspursued,—pursued in fact he was, for the jacobinical insectbuzzing its wings, actually settled on the official sleeve ofthe diplomatist. Who could possibly endure so horrible avisitation! Screaming aloud, and leaping over chairs andtables, poor William hollooed, “ Oh! the creature ! Oh! thecreature! Take it away—for God ’s sake take it away !”The creature quietly retired no body knew where ; but uprose in confusion and dire dismay all the lieges—both of hisMajesty of England, and of his Majesty of Naples, and ofother Majesties, who happened to be luckless attendants onthis scene of terror. Cigars, punch glasses, dice boxes,chess men and women, were suddenly let drop : nothingless than an earthquake was thought of, or a flying croco-dile from the sea! A glass of water! iced water! a smell-ing bottle!—Well, at last, the British secretary revives,takes up his scattered cards—but his wits scattered to thewinds by the wings of the grasshopper, were lost for theevening, lie lost also—the rubber.
While speaking of poisonous things, I must not forget tomention that the Tarantula spider is not confined to theregions of Apulia and Tarentum as usually described. Ihave found several within twenty miles of Naples, and inthe Campagna of Borne there are whole acres of spiders,which only differ from the Tarantula in being less hairy andin constructing a vertical small web a little above their holesin the ground. The bodies of these last-mentioned spidersare the size of a hazel nut,—their forceps quite strong