144 THE UNIVERSE. 



disgusting. It covers itself with a ragged coat of spider- 

 threads and dust, in order to be less distinguishable from 

 the latter, in the midst of which it hides itself to watch for 

 the passing prey. 



Baron Geer, the Reaumur of Sweden, has described the 

 wiles of this insect in a very picturesque manner. " This 

 bug," he says, " in the state of a nymph, or before its wings 

 are developed, possesses a hideous and revolting exterior. 

 At the first look one might take it for one of the ugliest of 

 spiders. What makes it so disagreeable to the sight is its 

 being entirely covered with and enveloped in a grayish mat- 

 ter, which is nothing but the dust one sees in the nooks of 

 an ill-swept room, and which is generally mixed with sand 

 and portions of wool or silk, making the feet of the insect 

 clumsy and misshapen, and giving the whole body a very 

 singular look." 



The Reduvius, nevertheless, is of a very slender form ; 

 but to appreciate this one must give it a brush. In its dis- 

 guise it moves very slowly, as if overloaded by the weight 

 of its accoutrements, in order to take its prey by surprise. 

 But when it has thrown off its garment and acquired its 

 wings, it becomes active, and we then see it gaining its 

 livelihood in open view. 



When an enemy little to be dreaded sneaks into a hive 

 of bees, the first sentinels that see it pierce it with their 

 stings, and in the twinkling of an eye eject the corpse from 

 the common dwelling. The work is not interrupted by 

 such an event. But if the aggressor be a strong and heavy 

 slug, matters go differently. A general agitation seizes the 

 workers ; each one gets ready his weapon, whirls round the 



