Garden Spiders: Pairing and Hunting 



than on flesh? It were to her advantage to 

 suck a live body, wherein the flow of the 

 liquids, set in movement by the pulsation of 

 the dorsal vessel, that rudimentary heart of 

 insects, must act more freely than in a life- 

 less body, with its stagnant fluids. The 

 game which the Spider means to suck dry 

 might very well not be dead. This is easily 

 ascertained. 



I place some Locusts of different species on 

 the webs in my menagerie, one on this, another 

 on that. The Spider comes rushing up, binds 

 the prey, nibbles at it gently and withdraws, 

 waiting for the bite to take effect. I then take 

 the insect and carefully strip it of its silken 

 shroud. The Locust is not dead, far from it; 

 one would even think that he had suffered no 

 harm. I examine the released prisoner 

 through the lens in vain ; I can see no trace of 

 a wound. 



Can he be unscathed, in spite of the sort of 

 kiss which I saw given to him just now? You 

 would be ready to say so, judging by the 

 furious way in which he kicks in my fingers. 

 Nevertheless, when put on the ground, he 

 walks awkwardly, he seems reluctant to hop. 

 Perhaps it is a temporary trouble, caused by 



30Q 



