The Burrow 93 



bonne Lycosa, or Black-bellied Tarantula, 

 chooses her domicile in the waste, pebbly lands 

 beloved of the thyme. Her dwelling, a fortress 

 rather than a villa, is a burrow about nine 

 inches deep and as wide as the neck of a claret- 

 bottle. The direction is perpendicular, in so 

 far as obstacles, frequent in a soil of this kind, 

 permit. A bit of gravel can be extracted and 

 hoisted outside ; but a flint is an immovable 

 boulder which the Spider avoids by giving a 

 bend to her gallery. If more such are met with, 

 the residence becomes a winding cave, with 

 stone vaults, with lobbies communicating by 

 means of sharp passages. 



This lack of plan has no attendant drawbacks, 

 so well does the owner, from long habit, know 

 every comer and storey of her mansion. If 

 any interesting buzz occur overhead, the 

 Lycosa climbs up from her rugged manor with 

 the same speed as from a vertical shaft. Per- 

 haps she even finds the windings and turnings 

 an advantage, when she has to drag into her 

 den a prey that happens to defend itself. 



As a rule, the end of the burrow widens into 

 a side-chamber, a lounge or resting-place where 



