LIFE IN THE INSECT WORLD. 213 



strong maternal attachment which would in- 

 cline them to make almost any sacrifice to se- 

 cure the safety and welfare of their young. 



There is a spider, usually found under clods 

 of earth, which may readily be distinguished by 

 a white silken bag, about the size of a pea, at- 

 tached to the extremity of her body, which con- 

 tains her eggs. Although it appears a consider- 

 able weight to her, she carries it with her every 

 where. If you take it from her, she makes the 

 strongest efforts for its recovery, and no personal 

 danger can force her to quit the precious load. 

 If she cannot succeed in recovering her bag, she 

 appears almost frantic with distress ; and if she 

 again obtain possession of it, she evinces great de- 

 light, eagerly seizing it, and, with the utmost 

 rapidity, running with it to a place of safety. 



Bonnet, a distinguished entomologist, anxious 

 to prove the strength of this spider's affection, 

 threw one of them, with her bag, into the ca- 

 vern of an Ant Lion, a very ferocious insect, 

 which conceals itself in the bottom of a hole 

 made in the sand, for the purpose of catching 

 any insect which may happen to fall into it. 

 The spider endeavored to run away, but was 



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