It's that lovely time of the year again: the days are mild, evenings crisp, water's a bit 'fresh' and the funnel-webs are out. The Sydney funnel web is beautiful, shiny black, and lethal. I happened to believe they lived only in the Sydney area. Actually, they inhabit a territory that stretches from my home town, Newcastle, down through Sydney to Wollongong.

The ones who are out are the males. Like the typical Aussie male, they stagger about at night hoping for a root. This process usually takes