The Pompili 



commensurate with their size, that is caught 

 in their nets. While the first possess a sting, 

 the second have two poisoned fangs. Often 

 their strength is equally matched; indeed the 

 advantage is not seldom on the Spider's side. 

 The Wasp has her ruses of war, her cun- 

 ningly premeditated strokes: the Spider has 

 her wiles and her set traps; the first has the 

 advantage of great rapidity of movement, 

 while the second is able to rely upon her 

 perfidious web ; the one has a sting which con- 

 trives to penetrate the exact point to cause 

 paralysis, the other has fangs which bite the 

 back of the neck and deal sudden death. 

 We find the paralyser on the one hand and 

 the slaughterer on the other. Which of the 

 two will become the other's prey? 



If we consider only the relative strength of 

 the adversaries, the power of their weapons, 

 the virulence of their poisons and their differ- 

 ent modes of action, the scale would very 

 often be weighted in favour of the Spider. 

 Since the Pompilus always emerges victori- 

 ous from this contest, which appears to be 

 full of peril for her, she must have a special 

 method, of which I would fain learn the 

 secret. 



In our part of the country, the most pow- 

 erful and courageous Spider-huntress is the 

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