82 THE AN'T-r.IO.\. 



the open country : besides, their dens are never of this fornn. How then 

 could it have been formed, and for what purpose was it designed ? 



These were questions of much interest to the traveler, but he was 

 unable to answer them. He came at length to the conclusion that he 

 had made a new discovery, and intended to give this day's adventure a 

 prominent place in his book of travels. But the most interesting part 

 of his adventure was yet to come, for no sooner did he make a move 

 to go; bracing himself up, and gathering all his strength for the diffi- 

 cult ascent, than he felt the loose soil heaving and rocking beneath him. 

 Terror added strength, and he was himself astonished at the ease with 

 which he made his way over the crumbling rocks, which, artfully ar- 

 ranged, were continually sliding away from beneath his feet. He had 

 already half gained the surface, and was congratulating himself upon his 

 supposed escape, when suddenly the air about him was filled with show- 

 ers of stones that fell thick and fast. He was in a moment prostrated, 

 and before he had time to rise, felt himself sliding back again with fear- 

 ful rapidity. He looked downward, and Oh! what a sight he there be- 

 held ! Two terrific jaws "of vast extent and power infinite" were wide- 

 gaping to receive him. The body of the monster to which they be- 

 longed were concealed from his views ; but he desired not to see it, for 

 there was sufficient in its appalling visage to convince him that no mer- 

 cy was to be expected at such hands. He made a last, a desperate ef- 

 fort to escape, and succeeded, though excited rage, and disappointed glut- 

 toning aroused the hideous monster to exert all its power to detain him. 



Suppose now that a person would stand up before you and declare 

 that all I have here stated is literally true, that it had happened to him- 

 self: how would you regard his account.^ You would say, "He must 

 either be a fool or a madman." And why so ? "Oh," you will say, "we 

 never heard of there being such a vast monster in any part of the world, 

 or of its diging deep and artfully contrived pits and concealing itself at 

 the bottom to watch for prey. If this were really the case it would 

 have been known long ago, and we have of late heard too many fish-sto- 

 ries to be hoaxed by everv wandering imposter and self-styled traveller." 

 Strange and incredible as this narration may appear, yet, inutatls mutandis 

 it is an ad verbiim description of what will soon be daily occurring within 

 the reach of your own observation. During the hot, dry summer months 

 wliich will soon revisit us, walk out into the woods and direct your 

 steps to the side of some large tree, which, stretched along the ground, 

 is undergoing the slow process of decay. In the crumbling mould spread 

 around it you will very probably find some conical holes several inches 

 in depth, and corresponding in every respect except ."^ize. to the descrip- 



