164 THE WONDERS OF INSTINCT 



their camping-ground on her back. Not one quits its 

 place nor gives a sign of wishing to slip down and join in 

 the meal. Nor does the mother extend an invitation to 

 them to come and recruit themselves, nor put any broken 

 victuals aside for them. She feeds and the others look 

 on, or rather remain indifferent to what is happening. 

 Their perfect quiet during the Lycosa's feast points to 

 the possession of a stomach that knows no cravings. 



Then with what are they sustained, during their seven 

 months' upbringing on the mother's back? One con- 

 ceives a notion of exudations supplied by the bearer's 

 body, in which case the young would feed on their 

 mother, after the manner of parasitic vermin, and gradu- 

 ally drain her strength. 



We must abandon this notion. Never are they seen 

 to put their mouths to the skin that should be a sort of 

 teat to them. On the other hand, the Lycosa, far from 

 being exhausted and shriveling, keeps perfectly well and 

 plump. She has the same pot-belly when she finishes 

 rearing her young as when she began. She has not lost 

 weight: far from it; on the contrary, she has put on 

 flesh: she has gained the wherewithal to beget a new 

 family next summer, one as numerous as to-day's. 



Once more, with what do the little ones keep up their 

 strength? We do not like to suggest reserves supplied 

 by the egg as rectifying the animal's expenditure of vital 

 force, especially when we consider that those reserves, 

 themselves so close to nothing, must be economized in 

 view of the silk, a material of the highest importance, 

 of which a plentiful use will be made presently. There 



