62 SPIDERS [CH. 



emerges bodily, and remains for a minute motionless, 

 on the qui vive. Finding no cause for alarm, it 

 presently begins moving about stealthily, and before 

 long several members of the colony are busily 

 exploring the neighbourhood. A cloud passes over 

 the sun and all quickly disappear into their holes, 

 but this time without alarm, for they come forth 

 unhesitatingly when the sun shines again. 



It is a fascinating sight to observe these little 

 creatures pursuing their operations in absolute silence 

 under my very eyes. A few stealthy steps are taken, 

 the body being so moved that the battery of eyes is 

 brought to bear upon different points of the compass ; 

 a short quick run ensues, followed by more cautious 

 movements. I am not fortunate enough to see the 

 actual running down of a quarry, but in time I note 

 one of the colony bringing home an insect in its jaws. 

 So absorbed am I that I fairly jump when a horrified 

 human voice close at hand observes " He's in a fit " ! 

 I have excited the solicitude of a girls' school which 

 has approached noiselessly over the sand on their 

 afternoon promenade, and stands gazing at me with 

 as much fascination as I at the spiders. I hasten to 

 reassure them, but the spell is broken, and the seance 

 is at an end. Not a spider is visible. 



But I can still do one thing. Here is a good 

 opportunity of finding out something about the 

 burrows of these spiders. In turf the investigation 



