The Pompili 



Antaeus, the son of Mother Earth, in his 

 struggle with Hercules, received new 

 strength as often as his feet touched the 

 ground; the Pompilus, the daughter of the 

 wall, seems to increase her powers tenfold 

 once she has set foot on the masonry. 



For here is the Wasp hoisting her prey 

 backwards, her enormous prey, which dangles 

 beneath her. She climbs now a vertical 

 plane, now a slope, according to the uneven 

 surface of the stones. She crosses gaps 

 where she has to go belly uppermost, while 

 the quarry swings to and fro in the air. No- 

 thing stops her; she keeps on climbing, to a 

 height of six feet or more, without selecting 

 her path, without seeing her goal, since she 

 goes backwards. A lodge appears no doubt 

 reconnoitred beforehand and reached, de- 

 spite the difficulties of an ascent which did 

 not allow her to see it. The Pompilus 

 lays her prey on it. The silken tube which 

 she inspected so lovingly is only some eight 

 inches distant. She goes to it, examines it 

 rapidly and returns to the Spider, whom she 

 at length lowers down the tube. 



Shortly afterwards I see her come out 



again. She searches here and there on the 



wall for a few scraps of mortar, two or 



three fairly large pieces, which she carries 



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