AFFECTION OF INSECTS FOR THEIR YOUNG. 361 



structed in the sand for the purpose of catching any un-- 

 toj^unate victim that may chance to fall in. The spider 

 endeavoured to run away, but was not sufficiently ac- 

 tive to prevent the ant-lion from seizing- her bag of 

 eggs, which it attempted to pull under the sand. She 

 jnade the most violent efforts to defeat the aim of her 

 invisible foe, and on her part struggled with all her 

 might. The gluten, however, which fastened her bag, 

 at length gave way, and it separated : but the ppidor 

 instantly regained it with her jaws, and redoubled her 

 efforts to rescue the prize from her opponent. It war- 

 in vain : the ant-lion was the stronger of the two, and 

 in spite of all her struggles dragged the object of con- 

 testation under the sand. The unfortunate mother 

 might have preserved her own life from the enemy : 

 she had but to relinquish the bag, and escape out of 

 the pit. But, wonderful example of maternal affec- 

 tion ! she preferred allowing herself to be buried alive 

 along with the treasure dearer to her than her ex- 

 istence ; and it w as only by force that Bonnet at length 

 withdrew her from the unequal conflict. But the bag 

 of eggs remained with the assassin ; and though he 

 pushed her repeatedly with a twig of wood, she still 

 persisted in continuing on the spot. Life seemed to 

 have become a burthen to her, and all her pleasures to 

 have been buried in the grave which contained the 

 germe of her progeny^ ! The attachment of this affec- 

 tionate mother is not confined to her eggs. After the 

 young spiders are hatched, they make their way out of 

 the bag by an orifice, which she is careful to open for 

 them, and without which t]iey could never escape'^ 



" Bonnet, ii. 435. " De Gecr, \ii, 194. 



