THE RINGED CALICURGUS 165 



counsel of prudence. The Epeira carries under her throat 

 two sharp daggers, with a drop of poison at the tip ; the 

 Calicurgus is lost if the Arachnid bite her. Neverthe- 

 less, her anaesthetizing operation requires perfect security 

 of the lancet. What is to be done in this peril, which 

 would perplex the most confident surgeon ? We must 

 first disarm the patient and operate upon him later. 



Behold, the Cahcurgus' sting, aimed from back to 

 front, enters the Epeira's mouth, with minute precautions 

 and emphatic persistency. Upon the instant, the poison- 

 fangs close limply and the formidable prey is rendered 

 harmless. The Hymenopteron's abdomen then extends 

 its arch and drives in the needle behind the fourth pair 

 of legs, on the median line, almost at the juncture of the 

 belly. The skin is thinner and more easily penetrable at 

 this spot than elsewhere. The rest of the chest is covered 

 with a firm breast-plate, which the sting would perhaps 

 not succeed in perforating. The nerve-centres, the seat 

 of the movement of the legs, are situated a little higher 

 than the wounded spot ; but the aiming of the weapon 

 from back to front enables it to reach them. This last 

 blow produces paralysis of the eight legs together. 



To enlarge upon the proceeding would spoil the elo- 

 quence of this manoeuvre. Fu-st, for the protection of 

 the operator, a stab in the mouth, that fearsomely armed 

 point, to be dreaded above all others ; next, for the pro- 

 tection of the grub, a second stab in the nerve-centres of 

 the thorax, to destroy all movement. I suspected indeed 

 that the sacrificers of powerful Arachnids were endowed 

 with special talents ; but I was far from expecting their 

 daring logic, which disarms before it paralyzes. This 

 must also be the scheme followed by the Tarantula- 

 huntress, who refused to disclose her secret under my 

 bells. I know her method now, divulged as it is by a 



