The Pompili 



eyes but once ; and that was close beside my 

 rural home, in the famous laboratory of the 

 harmas.^ I can still see the intrepid poacher 

 dragging by the leg, at the foot of a wall, 

 the monstrous prize which she had just se- 

 cured, doubtless at no great distance. At 

 the base of the wall was a hole, an accidental 

 chink between some of the stones. The 

 Wasp inspected the cavern, not for the first 

 time : she had already reconnoitred it and 

 the premises had satisfied her. The prey, 

 deprived of the power of movement, was 

 waiting somewhere, I know not where; and 

 the huntress had gone back to fetch it and 

 store it away. It was at this moment that 

 I met her. The Pompilus gave a last glance 

 at the cave, removed a few small fragments 

 of loose mortar; and with that her prepara- 

 tions were completed. The Lycosa^ was 

 Introduced, dragged along, belly upwards, 

 by one leg. I did not interfere. Presently 

 the Wasp reappeared on the surface and 

 carelessly pushed in front of the hole the 

 bits of mortar which she had just extracted 



1 The enclosed piece of waste land on which the author 

 studied his insects in their native state. Cf. The Life of 

 the Fly, by J. Henri Fabre, translated by Alexander 

 Teixeira de Mattos : chap. i. — Translator's Note. 



2 The Spider in question is known indifferently as the 

 Black-bellied Tarantula and the Narbonne Lycosa. — 

 Translator's Note. 



5 



