COMMENCEMENT OF THE RAINS 83 



seated at the entrance. I stopped to look at him ; 

 he showed neither fear nor surprise at my presence, 

 remaining as motionless as if in a trance. Presently, 

 as I remained looking, a spider approached. He came 

 on slowly, walking most leisurely. His course took 

 him towards the hole of the lukharee. The spider 

 had arrived within a few inches of the hole, and was 

 proceeding past it, when the lukharee without warning, 

 without any previous movement, made a spring forward. 

 He alighted on the back of the spider, seized him, and 

 before I had time to interfere had vanished with him 

 back into the recesses of his hole. 



In this case the distance that the lukharee sprang 

 was but small ; it was the suddenness and rapidity of 

 his movements that excited my surprise. The sudden- 

 ness of the attack appeared also to paralyze the spider, 

 for though he was the larger insect of the two, he made, 

 so far as I could perceive, absolutely no resistance. 



About this time I made many excavations. One of 

 them resulted in a most interesting discovery. I was 

 walking one afternoon along the path that leads to 

 the terrace. Towards the end of the path I happened 

 to notice a small hole in the surface. Something about 

 the hole, I do not remember what, excited my curiosity. 

 I had the hole dug up. It was not long ; at the depth 

 of some six or eight inches it terminated in a hollow 

 space, and in this hollow space, closely huddled together, 

 were four large toads. 



The sight of these toads caused me great astonish- 

 ment, and suggested many speculations. 



And first, How had the toads managed to enter the 



