ANT-LIONS 



It thrust its body into the sand, and began to toss from 

 its head the grains that Hghtly covered it. Into the 

 little hole thus formed the sand began to run; and as 

 the insect continued to jerk the particles away the hole 

 was enlarged, and a vortex caused by the sand running 

 in from all sides, thus naturally forming a funnel- 

 shaped pit. 



Having prepared its trap in one or the other of these 

 ways, the insect was ready for work. It took its place 

 in the centre of the pit with only its head above the 

 surface, and its long, strong, curved mandibles in sight. 

 Then it began its patient watch for visitors, like the 

 ogres of fairy-tales within their grim castles. The 

 reader will remember that the large bowl within which 

 these observations were made stood upon a naturalist's 

 working - table. It therefore would have been a vain 

 watch, and our ingenious trapper would have died in 

 its den had not some one come to its aid. Hence its 

 captor had to forage for supplies. Numbers of ants 

 nested in the adjoining lawn; so many indeed as to be 

 troublesome, and to justify one in somewhat thinning 

 out their ranks. From time to time these were captured 

 and put into the bowl. 



There is a deal of the Paul Pry in emmet nature; 

 and as the ants were placed upon the sand they went 

 peeking and nosing about, as is their use and wont, 

 waving their antennae and challenging therewith every 

 object in their way. But they did not seem to walk 

 deliberately into the pit. They stopped upon the edge 

 when they reached it in course of their rambles about 

 the bowl. They waved their antennae. Sometimes 

 -they reached a fore leg over the brink. Sometimes they 

 retreated; sometimes they turned and began to walk 



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