50 The Life of a Spider 



the Epeira's paunch with one blow of her 

 harpoons. 



Will the Spider dare ? Not immediately. 

 Motionless in the centre of her net, she consults 

 her strength before attacking the formidable 

 quarry ; she waits until the struggling prey 

 has its claws more thickly entangled. At last, 

 she approaches. The Mantis curls her belly ; 

 lifts her wings like vertical sails ; opens her 

 saw-toothed arm-pieces ; in short, adopts the 

 spectral attitude which she employs when 

 delivering battle. 



The Spider disregards these menaces. Spread- 

 ing wide her spinnerets, she pumps out sheets 

 of silk which the hind-legs draw out, expand 

 and fling without stint in alternate armfuls. 

 Under this shower of threads, the Mantis' 

 terrible saws, the lethal legs, quickly disappear 

 from sight, as do the wings, still erected in the 

 spectral posture. 



Meanwhile, the swathed one gives sudden 

 jerks, which make the Spider fall out of her 

 web. The accident is provided for. A safety- 

 cord, emitted at the same instant by the 

 spinnerets, keeps the Epeira hanging, swinging 



