The Banded Epeira 



The ancient retiarius, when pitted against 

 a powerful wild beast, appeared in the arena 

 with a rope-net folded over his left shoulder. 

 The animal made its spring. The man, with 

 a sudden movement of his right arm, cast the 

 net after the manner of the fishermen; he 

 covered the beast and tangled it in the 

 meshes. A thrust of the trident gave the 

 quietus to the vanquished foe. 



The Epeira acts in like fashion, with this 

 advantage, that she is able to renew her arm- 

 ful of fetters. Should the first not suffice, a 

 second instantly follows and another and yet 

 another, until the reserves of silk become ex- 

 hausted. 



When all movement ceases under the 

 snowy winding-sheet, the Spider goes up to 

 her bound prisoner. She has a better weapon 

 than the bestiarius' trident: she has her 

 poison-fangs. She gnaws at the Locust, 

 without undue persistence, and then with- 

 draws, leaving the torpid patient to pine 

 away. 



Soon she comes back to her motionless 

 head of game: she sucks it, drains it, re- 

 peatedly changing her point of attack. At 

 last, the clean-bled remains are flung out of 

 83 



