The Family 121 



The eyes took their fill of light ; the belly re- 

 mained in the dark. When carrying her egg- 

 bag, the Spider reverses the posture : the front 

 is in the pit, the rear outside. With her hind- 

 legs she holds the white pill bulging with germs 

 lifted above the entrance ; gently she turns and 

 returns it, so as to present every side to the life- 

 giving rays. And this goes on for half the day, 

 so long as the temperature is high ; and it is 

 repeated daily, with exquisite patience, during 

 three or four weeks. To hatch its eggs, the bird 

 covers them with the quilt of its breast ; it 

 strains them to the furnace of its heart. The 

 Lycosa turns hers in front of the hearth of 

 hearths : she gives them the sun as an incubator. 

 In the early days of September, the young 

 ones, who have been some time hatched, are 

 ready to come out. The pill rips open along 

 the middle fold. We read of the origin of this 

 fold in an earlier chapter. ^ Does the mother, 

 feeling the brood quicken inside the satin 

 wrapper, herself break open the vessel at the 

 opportune moment ? It seems probable. On 

 the other hand, there may be a spontaneous 



^ Chapter lil. of the present volume. — Translator's Note. 



