The Life of the Spider 



so sharp-pointed are the Epeira's weapons, 

 was enough, with a little insistence, to kill 

 the powerful animal. Proportionately, the 

 Rattlesnake, the Horned Viper, the Trigono- 

 cephalus 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 not suit them. If I persuaded them to 

 bite me, what would happen to me ? Hardly 

 anything. We have more cause to dread the 

 sting of a nettle than the dagger which is 

 fatal to Dragon-flies. The same virus acts 

 differently upon this organism and that, is 

 formidable here and quite mild there. What 

 kills the insect may easily be harmless to us. 

 Let us not, however, generalize too far. The 

 Narbonne Lycosa, that other enthusiastic 

 insect-huntress, would make us pay dearly if 

 we attempted to take liberties with her. 



It is not uninteresting to watch the Epeira 

 at dinner. I light upon one, the Banded 

 Epeira, at the moment, about three o'clock in 

 the afternoon, when she has captured a Locust. 

 Planted in the centre of the web, on her 

 resting-floor, she attacks the venison at the 

 joint of a haunch. There is no movement, not 

 313 



