350 THE ANT-LION. 



it will suck out all its juices so perfectly that the 

 remaining shell may be rubbed to powder between 

 the fingers, whilst the body of the creature that has 

 sucked it appears remarkably swelled and distended. 

 For the sake of experiment, M. Poupart put one of 

 them into a wooden box with some sand, and co- 

 vered it with a glass, so as to exclude every other in- 

 sect. Here it formed its cone, and watched as 

 usual for prey, though in vain. Thus he kept it for 

 several months, while in an adjoining box he kept 

 another of the same species, which he supplied with 

 food by giving it ants and flies pretty regularly. 

 He could perceive no difference between the move- 

 ments or actions of the two ; but, when he took 

 them from their holes, he found the abdomen of 

 that which had received no food was shrunk to a 

 very diminutive size, whilst the other retained its 

 proper shape, 



When the Ant-lion has lived its usual time in the 

 Jarva state, it leaves its pit, and buries itself under 

 the surface of the sand. Here it incloses itselt in a 

 fine w r eb, in which it is to pass its transformation 

 into a winged state. This web is made of a sort of 

 si'k, which the creature spins in the manner of the 

 spider, and of a quantity of the grains of sand ce- 

 mented together bv a <rlutinous humour whieh flows 

 from its poies. This case, however, would be too 

 harsh and coarse for the body of the creature, and 

 therefore it serves only for the covering, to defend 

 it from external injuries; the animal spinning one 

 of pure and incomparably fine silk, of a beautiful 



