THE RINGED CALICURGUS 159 



outspread, ready to thrust and parry. The poison-fangs 

 yawn wide : a drop of venom hangs from their point. 

 The mere sight of them makes my flesh creep. In this 

 terrible attitude, presenting her powerful chest and the 

 black velvet of her belly to her enemy, the Arachnid 

 overawes the Pompilus, who abruptly turns to the right- 

 about and retreats. The Lycosa then closes her case 

 of poisoned daggers and returns to her natural position, 

 standing on her eight legs ; but, at the least aggressive 

 movement on the part of the Hymenopteron, she resumes 

 her threatenmg posture. 



Nay, she does better : suddenly, she leaps and flings 

 herself upon the Calicurgus, grapples with her nimbly 

 and gnaws her with her fangs. The other, without reply- 

 ing with her sting, releases herself and emerges unscathed 

 from the fierce encounter. Time after time, I witness 

 the attack ; and nothing serious ever happens to the 

 Hymenopteron, who quickly extricates herself and seems 

 to have felt nothing. Her manoeuvres are resumed as 

 boldly and swiftly as at the start. 



Does this mean that the creature escaping from the 

 terrible fangs is invulnerable ? Obviously not. A real 

 bite would be fatal to her. Big, tough Acridians suc- 

 cumb : why should not she, with her delicate organiza- 

 tion, succumb as well ? The Arachnid's daggers, there- 

 fore, make vain feints ; their points do not enter the 

 antagonist's flesh. If the blows were real, I should see 

 bleedmg wounds, I should see the fangs closed for a 

 moment upon the point seized, whereas all my watchful- 

 ness fails to perceive anything of the sort. Are the fangs 

 powerless, then, to pierce the Calicurgus' envelope ? Not 

 that either. I have seen them go through the corselet 

 of the Acridians, which possesses much greater resisting 



