Chapter vi 



THE NARBONNE LYCOSA: THE CLIMBING- 

 INSTINCT 



The month of March comes to an end ; and 

 the departure of the youngsters begins, in 

 glorious weather, during the hottest hours of 

 the morning. Laden with her swarming burden, 

 the mother Lycosa is outside her burrow, 

 squatting on the parapet at the entrance. She 

 lets them do as they please ; as though in- 

 different to what is happening, she exhibits 

 neither encouragement nor regret. Whoso will 

 goes ; whoso will remains behind. 



First these, then those, according as they feel 

 themselves duly soaked with sunshine, the little 

 ones leave the mother in batches, run about for 

 a moment on the ground and then quickly reach 

 the trellis-work of the cage, which they climb 

 with surprising alacrity. They pass through 

 the meshes, they clamber right to the top of 



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