428 FOOD OF INSECTS. 



but it can walk in no other direction than backwards ; 

 you may judge, therefore, what would be such a hun- 

 ter's chance of seizing an active ant. Nor would a 

 stationary posture be more favourable; for its grim 

 aspect would infallibly impress upon all wanderers the 

 prudence of keeping at a respectful distance. What 

 then is to become of our poor ant-lion ? In its appetite 

 it is a perfect epicure, never, however great may be its 

 hunger, deigning to taste of a carcase unless it has pre- 

 viously had the enjoyment of killing it ; and then ex- 

 tracting only the liner juices. In what possible v/ay 

 can it contrive to supply such a succession of delicacies, 

 when its ordinary habits seem to unfit it for obtaining 

 even the coarsest provision ? You shall hear. It ac- 

 complishes by artifice what all its open efi'orts would 

 have been unequal to. It digs in loose sand a conical 

 pit, in the bottom of which it conceals itself, and there 

 seizes upon the insects which, chancing to stumble over 

 the margin, are precipitated down the sides to the cen- 

 tre. " How wonderful ! " you exclaim: but you will 

 be still more surprised when I have described the whole 

 process by which it excavates its trap, and the ingenious 

 contrivances to which it has recourse. 



Its .Irst concern is to find a soil of loose dry sand, in 

 the neighbourhood of which, indeed, its provident mo- 

 ther has previously taken care to place it, and in a 

 sheltered spot near an old wall, or at the foot of a tree. 

 This is necessary on two accounts: the prey most ac- 

 ceptable to it abounds there, and no other soil would 

 suit for the construction of its snare. Its next step is 

 to trace in the sand a circle, which, like the furrow with 

 which Romulus marked out the limits cf his new cit) j 



