430 FOOD OF INSECTS. 



for the purpose of exploring the depth below. Alas ! its 

 curiosity is dearly gratified. The faithless sand slides 

 from under its feet; its struggles but hasten its descent ; 

 and it is precipitated headlong into the jaws of the con- 

 cealed devourer. Sometimes, however, it chances that 

 the ant is able to stop itself midway, and with all haste 

 scrambles up again. No sooner does the ant-lion per- 

 ceive this, (for, being furnished with six eyes on each 

 side of his head, he is sufficiently sharp-sighted,) than, 

 shaking off his inactivity, he hastily shovels loads of sand 

 upon his head, and vigorously throws them up in quick 

 succession upon the escaping insect, which, attacked by 

 such a heavy shower from below and treading on so 

 unstable a path, is almost inevitably carried to the bot- 

 tom. The instant his victim is fairly within reach, the 

 ant-lion seizes him between his jaws, which are admira- 

 ble instruments, at the same time hooked for holding, 

 and hollow, furnished with a lateral piston, for sucking, 

 and at his leisure extracting all the juices of the body, 

 regales upon formic acid. The dry carcase he subse- 

 quently jerks out of his den, that it may not encumber 

 him in his future contests, or betray the " horrid secrets 

 of his prison-house : " and if the sides of the pit have 

 received any damage, he leaves his concealment for 

 awhile to repair it : which having done, he resumes his 

 station. 



In this manner in its larva state this insect lives nearly 

 two years, during all which time it receives no food but 

 what has been caught through the artifice above de- 

 scribed. Though all living insects, for I have fed it with 

 flies, are equally acceptable to it, as the winged tribe 

 can easily take flight from its pit should they chance to 



