The Black- Bel lied Tarantula 2>1 



There was a certain coolness among us at the 

 evening-meal. I read mute reproaches, because 

 of my experiment, in the eyes of my home- 

 circle ; I read an unspoken accusation of 

 cruelty all around me. The death of the un- 

 fortunate Sparrow had saddened the whole 

 family. I myself was not without some remorse 

 of conscience : the poor result achieved seemed 

 to me too dearly bought. I am not made of 

 the stuff of those who, without turning a hair, 

 rip up live Dogs to find out nothing in par- 

 ticular. 



Nevertheless, I had the courage to start 

 afresh, this time on a Mole caught ravaging 

 a bed of lettuces. There was a danger lest my 

 captive, with his famished stomach, should leave 

 things in doubt, if we had to keep him for a 

 few days. He might die not of his wound, but 

 of inanition, if I did not succeed in giving him 

 suitable food, fairly plentiful and dispensed 

 at fairly frequent intervals. In that case, I 

 ran a risk of ascribing to the poison what might 

 well be the result of starvation. I must there- 

 fore begin by finding out if it was possible for 

 me to keep the Mole alive in captivity. The 



