CH. XIII.] THE ANT-LION. 223 



of the work, the insect shows itself a most expert 

 engineer. It describes a perfect circle, and traces 

 out a volute, without the assistance of a pair of 

 compasses ; and gives the slope of earth which it 

 hollows all the solidity of which it is susceptible. 



Desirous to witness the ingenuity and try the 

 perseverance of one of these creatures, M. Bonnet 

 threw a good-sized pebble into the den ; its removal 

 seemed to be quite essential, for the ant-lion left its 

 work to effect it. To toss it out was beyond its 

 power ; it therefore determined to carry it up the 

 declivity. For this purpose it insinuated its tail 

 under the offending impediment, and by moving the 

 rings of its body, hoisted it gradually on its back ; 

 thus loaded, it set off with its burden, walking 

 backwards up the sloping side of the hole. Of 

 course every step made the stone shake and over- 

 balance ; but it was righted in a trice by a due ad- 

 justment of the body of the insect, or a proper 

 movement of the rings which compose it. Five or 

 six times successively, the stone fell off in spite of 

 all the skill and patience of the creature, and five 

 or six times, Sysiphus-like, it renewed its efforts. 

 In some instances, success attended his patient la- 

 bours ; in others, its efforts proved unavailing ; but 

 rather than submit to the inconvenience of a pebble 

 which could offer the means of escape to its prey, 

 the insect chose to quit the den and begin a new 

 one. Another, however, acting with more sagacity 

 simply drove the stone into the sandy walls of the 

 den, and thus effectually abated the nuisance with 

 little trouble. 



All difficulties having been at length surmounted, 

 the pit is finished ; it is a conical excavation, rather 

 more than two inches deep, and about three inches 

 in diameter at the top, gradually diminishing in its 

 dimensions until it becomes no more than a point at 

 the bottom. It is at this narrow part of the den 

 that the ant-lion now takes its station ; and lest its 



