5 i6 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. ' 



My plate was brought on to the lawn, and on it were the remains 

 of the fowls ; and the dog was carried out with all care to enjoy his 

 meal on the grass. Poor old thing ! His tail wagged with a steady 

 flap, his eyes glistened softly, his neck was outstretched, and his nose 

 was agitated with a delicate twitching till he was placed beside his 

 repast. Then he fell-to, and with admirable judgment selected the 

 most meaty morsels to commence with. 



It was lucky that he had finished two pinions, for " the Philistines 

 were upon him." A pea-hen close by heard the crunching. She lis- 

 tened. Curiosity seized her, and she looked at the eater, first with 

 one eye, then with the other. (That was mere coquetry, as it gave 

 her an opportunity of showing off the graceful movements of her 

 neck.) She approached a few steps with stagy dignity ; she saw there 

 was food, and the bird of Juno, forgetting her state, ran with an un- 

 gainly and slop-slap step toward the plate. 



The bird was large and powerful, and the dog was small and an 

 invalid. He therefore secured the best advantages that the circum- 

 stances afforded, and sneaked off on three legs with a drumstick. 



" Gristle ? " quoth the pea-hen ; " excellent ! Tendon ? better 

 still." Gaup, gaup. "A small bone? 'twill do me no harm." Down 

 it went. " A little picking ? " peck, peck. 



" Thou cannibal ! " thought I, " those are the remains of thy com- 

 panions of the farm-yard. That fly is not so unnatural, after all. I 

 will let it go." 



My resolution was short-lived. Two hours ago there were but a 

 spider and a fly and a piece of paper in the glass jar. Now my friend 

 the spider was evidently getting hungry, and he was exerting himself. 

 Two strong cords were drawn from the paper to the bottom of the 

 jar, and Esau meant business. His spinnerets were turgid, his aspect 

 was determined, and steadily and slowly he commenced to make a 

 web. Now and then the fly took a walk and broke through a strand 

 or two. They stuck to his legs, and annoyed him. With a little 

 difficulty the films were got rid of, but consternation began to seize 

 the fly's mind, and he resolved to move from the scene of operations. 

 He took up his quarters on the muslin which covered the neck of the 

 jar. 



Next morning the fly's head hung like a Bulgarian atrocity in the 

 web, his body lay at the mouth of the spider's den. During the night 

 Esau had made a cavern of cobweb. 



It is the duty of the historian to adhere to the truth, even if it 

 casts a slur on his favorite theories, and blasts his reputation as an 

 observer. 



Esau was not a male : he was a lady. 



One day, while feeding the beast, I noticed that the den in the 

 corner had been extended into a passage with two openings, and in 

 the passage wall was a spot thicker and more opaque than the rest of 



