The Narbonne Lycosa 



she gives her eggs, for their protection, a 

 simple purse of satin. 



The work of spinning, followed by that of 

 tearing, is continued for a whole morning, 

 from five to nine o'clock. Worn out with 

 fatigue, the mother embraces her dear pill 

 and remains motionless. I shall see no more 

 to-day. Next morning, I find the Spider car- 

 rying the bag of eggs slung from her stern. 



Henceforth, until the hatching, she does 

 not leave go of the precious burden, which, 

 fastened to the spinnerets by a short ligament, 

 drags and bumps along the ground. With 

 this load banging against her heels, she goes 

 about her business; she walks or rests, she 

 seeks her prey, attacks it and devours it. 

 Should some accident cause the wallet to drop 

 off, it is soon replaced. The spinnerets touch 

 it somewhere, anywhere, and that is enough : 

 adhesion is at once restored. 



The Lycosa is a stay-at-home. She never 

 goes out except to snap up some game passing 

 within her hunting-domains, near the burrow. 

 At the end of August, however, it is not un- 

 usual to meet her roaming about, dragging her 

 wallet behind her. Her hesitations make one 

 think that she is looking for her home, which 



113 



