The Black-Bellied Tarantula 



fight between those animals. One day, when 

 I had had a successful hunt after these 

 Lycosae, I picked out two full-grown and 

 very powerful males and brought them to- 

 gether in a wide jar, in order to enjoy the 

 sight of a combat to the death. After walk- 

 ing round the arena several times, to try and 

 avoid each other, they were not slow in 

 placing themselves in a warlike attitude, as 

 though at a given signal. I saw them, to my 

 surprise, take their distances and sit up 

 solemnly on their hind-legs, so as mutually to 

 present the shield of their chests to each 

 other. After watching them face to face like 

 that for two minutes, during which they had 

 doubtless provoked each other by glances 

 that escaped my own, I saw them fling them- 

 selves upon each other at the same time, 

 twisting their legs round each other and ob- 

 stinately struggling to bite each other with 

 the fangs of the mandibles. Whether from 

 fatigue or from convention, the combat was 

 suspended; there was a few seconds' truce; 

 and each athlete moved away and resumed 

 his threatening posture. This circumstance 

 reminded me that, in the strange fights be- 

 tween cats, there are also suspensions of 



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