THE ANT-LION. 



243 



Europe. At all events, it is sufficiently rare in this country 

 to constitute a "Lion" indeed among English insects, and, 

 as such, better worth the seeking. The wily and cruel grub 

 of the ant-lion* (the Ogre of the pitfall) is a gray-coloured 

 ring-bodied insect, in form not very dissimilar to a woodlouse, 

 only much larger, and with six, instead of many legs ; but its 

 most conspicuous distinction consists in a pair of tremendous 

 jaws, each pointed and curved like a sickle, and forming 

 together a forceps-like weapon, wherewith, being tubular, it 

 can at once seize, pierce, and suck the blood, or, more properly, 

 the acid juice of the ants it preys on. The snare or pitfall of 

 the ant-lion consists of a funnel-shaped excavation, scooped 

 out of sand, in size varied, but most often of about three 

 inches diameter by two deep.* In the bottom of this den the 

 cunning creature awaits its prey ; and, not content with the 

 screen afforded by its encircling walls of sand, is accustomed 

 to conceal its whole body within a deep bed of the same ma- 

 terial, leaving only its formidable jaws above the surface. 

 When an unfortunate ant happens, by treading too near this 

 terrible trap, to dislodge from its edge a few particles of sand, 

 these in rolling to the bottom apprise the lurker of its victim's 

 proximity. Then, forthwith, more active measures are adopted 

 to ensure the latter 's down wall, its concealed enemy beginning 

 to toss up by repeated jerkings of its head successive showers 

 of sand, whereby the busy little traveller is sure, almost, to be 



* See Vignette. 



