28 The Life of a Spider 



is an antagonist worthy of the Tarantula, if I 

 succeed in inducing the Spider to accept her. 

 I place a certain number, one by one, in bottles 

 small in capacity, but having a wide neck capable 

 of surrounding the entrance to the burrow. 



As the prey which I am about to offer is 

 capable of overawing the huntress, I select 

 from among the Tarantulas the lustiest, the 

 boldest, those most stimulated by hunger. 

 The spikeleted stalk is pushed into the burrow. 

 When the Spider hastens up at once, when she 

 is of a good size, when she climbs boldly to 

 the aperture of her dwelling, she is admitted to 

 the tourney ; otherwise, she is refused. The 

 bottle, baited with a Carpenter-bee, is placed 

 upside down over the door of one of the elect. 

 The Bee buzzes gravely in her glass bell ; the 

 huntress mounts from the recesses of the 

 cave ; she is on the threshold, but inside ; she 

 looks ; she waits. I also wait. The quarters, 

 the half-hours pass: nothing. The Spider 

 goes down again : she has probably judged the 

 attempt too dangerous. I move to a second, a 

 third, a fourth burrow : still nothing ; the 

 huntress refuses to leave her lair. 



