68 ROMANCE OF THE INSECT WORLD CHAP. 



goes rolling down into the greedy outstretched jaws 

 of the fortress's Giant Grimm, and a sharp bite soon 

 puts an end to its existence. In a short time 

 it is sucked dry, and the dead and withered 

 carcase is flung from the pit, with an odd jerk of the 

 Ant-Lion's head, in order to leave the trap unen- 

 cumbered and ready for future conquest. 



The victim does not tamely resign its life to its 

 captor without attempting to save itself. A plucky 

 ant is incapable of cowardly conduct of the sort. But 

 it will be readily perceived that the more frantic are 

 its endeavours to elude its fate by scrambling, the 

 greater is the displacement of the yielding sand, its 

 movements become more and more impeded, it is 

 overpowered, and slowly but surely driven within 

 reach of the murderous jaws. That the Ant-Lion in- 

 tentionally aids in bringing about the result by dashing 

 showers of sand at the struggling insect is probably 

 somewhat of an exaggeration, for one can hardly credit 

 it with flinging the pellets with any definite aim. The 

 captive in its struggles must cause a quantity of sand 

 to fall into the pit, and the larva feeling its house 

 tumbling in, instinctively tosses it out. Some of this 

 may hit the ant, and in that case will certainly bring 

 it nearer the jaws. 



Naturally should a large and unwary hunting-spider, 

 a wood-louse, or perhaps a beetle, pay the penalty of 

 inquisitiveness and fall down the hole, the fight 

 between the snarer and its prey waxes fiercer and 

 more prolonged. These prisoners have no idea of 

 surrendering at discretion. They are sore at their 

 own folly, indignant at being betrayed, and in their 



