Contractions. - Therid. Thr. Theridion Curassavicum.

Class, Arachnida; Order, Araneidea; Tribe, Octono-culina; Family, Agelenidae.

Black Spider of Curacao. For. names: German, Feuerspinnchen; French, Araignee noire du Curacao; Native name, Aranja.

Habitat. - West Indies. Found on orange-trees.

Part employed. - The entire spider.

Characters. - Its body is the size of a cherry-stone, with a black chest; the feet are likewise black and covered with short and stiff hairs. It is distinguished by three points of a lively, orange red, placed at the back part of the body, and the largest of which, above the anus, is of the size of a pin's head. The youngest are of a beautiful velvet-black, marked with several white lines, composed of drop-like points from before backwards. The females are marked with similar stripes, but larger, and disposed in cross-form, of a yellow colour; the middle stripe terminates in the spot above the anus. On their bellies they all have a square, yellow spot, which is notched on the edges and occupies nearly the whole extent of the belly.

Preparation. - Tincture by maceration for ten or twelve days in proof spirit. It is recommended to use one spider to every 50 minims of proof spirit.

Reference to Horn. Proving. - Hale's New Remedies. Arch., xiv.

Proper forms for dispensing. - φ and lx, Tincture only. ] and upwards, Tincture, Pilules, or Globules.