The Life of the Spider 



into the ambuscade from time to time. The 

 duel is nearly equal in point of weapons. To 

 the venomous fangs of the Lycosa the Wasp 

 opposes her venomous stiletto. Which of 

 the two bandits shall have the best of it? 

 The struggle is a hand-to-hand one. The 

 Tarantula has no secondary means of de- 

 fence, no cord to bind her victim, no trap to 

 subdue her. When the Epeira, or Garden 

 Spider, sees an insect entangled in her great 

 upright web, she hastens up and covers the 

 captive with corded meshes and silk ribbons 

 by the armful, making all resistance impossi- 

 ble. When the prey is solidly bound, a prick 

 is carefully administered with the poison- 

 fangs; then the Spider retires, waiting for the 

 death-throes to calm down, after which the 

 huntress comes back to the game. In these 

 conditions, there is no serious danger. 



In the case of the Lycosa, the job is 

 riskier. She has naught to serve her but her 

 courage and her fangs and is obliged to leap 

 upon the formidable prey, to master it by 

 her dexterity, to annihilate it, in a measure, 

 by her swift-slaying talent. 



Annihilate is the word: the Bumble-bees 

 whom I draw from the fatal hole are a suf- 



60 



