16 HISTORY OF INSECTS. 



foot ; and this alternation proceeds regularly through the 

 whole work. Small stones are jerked out by its head, in the 

 same manner as the sand ; but such as are too large and 

 heavy to be jerked out, the ant-lion poises on its back, and 

 keeping them steady by the motion of the segments of its 

 body, carefully walks up the ascent with its burden and de- 

 posits it beyond the margin. Sometimes the stone will slip 

 from the back of the labourer, and roll down the side 

 of the hole ; as often as this may happen the patient crea- 

 ture renews its task, and never fails to accomplish it at last : 

 but if it meet with a large or immovable stone, the work is 

 abandoned, and another hole commenced in a more suita- 

 ble spot. The hole is rather more than two inches deep ; 

 the length of the ant-lion is about half an inch : the animal 

 buries itself in the sand at the bottom of the hole, its jaws 

 alone being visible, and thus awaits the arrival of its prey. 



When an ant or any other insect steps on the margin of 

 the pit, the sand slides from under its feet, its struggles but 

 hasten its descent, and it falls headlong into the jaws of the 

 enemy. Sometimes, especially after rain, when the parti- 

 cles of sand adhere to each other, the intruder is able to 

 arrest its downward progress, and begins to scramble up 

 again ; no sooner does the ant-lion perceive this, than he 

 shovels loads of sand on its head, and throws them with such 

 skill that the poor insect is soon overcome, and carried to 

 the bottom. When the body has been emptied of its juices, 

 the shell is jerked out of the pit to a considerable distance, 

 as if to avoid giving any cause of alarm to new comers. 

 After a period of nearly two years, the larva having attained 

 its full growth, it retires deeper into the sand, spins a silken 

 cocoon, and changes into a chrysalis, in which state it re- 

 mains about three weeks, when the perfect insect emerges. 



