The Life of the Spider 



hardly seems to distress her. She retains her 

 usual colour and plumpness, which is a sign 

 that the maternal exertions have not been too 

 much for her. 



I also notice an increased fervour in the 

 chase. While burdened with her family she 

 was remarkably abstemious, accepting only 

 with great reserve the game placed at her 

 disposal. The coldness of the season may 

 have militated against copious refections; per- 

 haps, also, the weight of the little ones ham- 

 pered her movements and made her more dis- 

 creet in attacking the prey. 



To-day, cheered by the fine weather and 

 able to move freely, she hurries up from her 

 lair each time I set a tit-bit to her liking, buzz- 

 ing at the entrance of her burrow; she comes 

 and takes from my fingers the savoury Locust, 

 the portly Anoxia 1 ; and this performance is 

 repeated daily, whenever I have the leisure 

 to devote to it. After a frugal winter, the 

 time has come for plentiful repasts. 



This appetite tells us that the animal is not 

 at the point of death; one does not feast in 

 this way with a played-out stomach. My 

 boarders are entering in full vigour upon their 

 *A species of Beetle. Translator's Note. 

 174 



