POISON-FANG AND STILETTO 155 



the open flowers lower down the spike in search 

 of honey. When a bee alights upon one of the 

 fully expanded blooms and thrusts its head 

 forward into the opening leading to the honey 

 nectary, the bud-like Spider suddenly becomes 

 animated, and climbing quickly from its hiding- 

 place, leaps down upon the back of the unsuspect- 

 ing bee, and buries her poison fangs in the body 

 of her victim. The unhappy bee gives vent to 

 a frantic buzz and struggles to escape, but 

 the poison from the jaws of the Spider very 

 rapidly takes effect, and in a few seconds the 

 fight is over, and the Spider carries her victim 

 down under the shelter of the lowest drooping 

 flowers of the spike, and there at her leisure 

 sucks the juices of her prey. When the early 

 orchis has finished flowering, the Spider appears 

 to betake herself to the flower-heads of the 

 meadow thistle, hiding under the flower-head, 

 and playing a deadly game of hide-and-seek with 

 the various insects alighting upon the florets. 

 Most of the insects alighting on the flower-head 

 at once turn their head towards the centre, 

 working from the outer florets inwards. Of 

 this habit the Spider takes full advantage. 

 Dodging round and round the base of the flower- 

 head, she will from time to time very cautiously 

 feel with her long arms the outer florets until 

 she realizes, apparently by certain movements 

 conveyed by them, that she has gained a position 

 at the rear of the insect. Then, with a sudden 

 rush, she springs upon the back of her prey, 

 and sinks her needle-sharp poison-fangs into its 

 body. Having overcome the struggles of her 



