10 HISTORY OF 



ed out the limits of a city with a plough. Within 

 this first furrow it digs a second, then a third, 

 and afterwards others, which are always less than 

 the preceding. Then it begins to deepen its 

 hole, sinking lower and lower into the sand, 

 which it throws with its horns, or feelers, towards 

 the edges, as we see men throw up sand in a gra- 

 vel-pit. Thus, by repeating its labours all round, 

 the sand is thrown up in a circle about the edges 

 of the pit, until the whole is quite completed. 

 This hole is always formed in a perfect circle ; 

 and the pit itself resembles the inside of an in- 

 verted funnel. When this insect first leaves the 

 egg and is newly hatched, the first pit it makes 

 is very small ; but as it grows bigger, it makes a 

 larger hole, which is destined, like a pit-fall, to 

 entrap its prey. It is generally about two inches 

 deep, and as much in diameter. 



The work being thus with great labour finish- 

 ed, the insidious insect places itself in ambush, 

 hiding itself at the bottom under the sand, in 

 such a manner that its two horns encircle the 

 bottom of the pit. All the sides of this pit-fall 

 are made of the most loose and crumbling mate- 

 rials, so that scarce any insect can climb up that 

 has once got down to the bottom. Conscious of 

 this, the lion-ant remains in patient expectation, 

 ready to profit by that accident which throws 

 some heedless little animal into its den. If then, 

 by misfortune, an ant, a wood-louse, or a small 

 caterpillar, walks too near the edge of the preci- 

 pice, the sand gives way beneath them, and they 

 fall to the bottom of the pit, where they meet 



