Pairing and Hunting 283 



The Spider rushes from her leafy villa, runs 

 boldly up to the giantess, flings a single bundle 

 of ropes at her and, without further precau- 

 tions, grips her with her legs, tries to subdue 

 her and then digs her fangs into the Dragon- 

 fly's back. The bite is prolonged in such 

 a way as to astonish me. This is not the 

 perfunctory kiss with which I am already 

 familiar ; it is a deep, determined wound. After 

 striking her blow, the Spider retires to a cert- 

 ain distance and waits for her poison to take 

 effect. 



I at once remove the Dragon-fly. She is 

 dead, really and truly dead. Laid upon my 

 table and left alone for twenty-four hours, she 

 makes not the slightest movement. A prick 

 of which my lens cannot see the marks, so sharp- 

 pointed are the Epeira's weapons, was enough, 

 with a little insistence, to kill the powerful 

 animal. Proportionately, the Rattlesnake, the 

 Homed Viper, the Trigonocephalus and other 

 ill-famed serpents produce less paralyzing effects 

 upon their victims. 



And these Epeirae, so terrible to insects, I am 

 able to handle without any fear. My skin does 



