278 FOOD OF INSECTS. 



By a manoeuvre, not easily described, it lifts the stone upon its back, keeps 

 it in a steady position by an alternate motion of the*segments which com- 

 pose that part ; and carefully walking up the ascent with the burthen, 

 deposits it on the outside of the margin. When, as occasionally happens, 

 the stone is round, the labor becomes most difficult and painful. A spec- 

 tator watching the motions of the ant-lion feels an inexpressible interest in 

 its behalf. He sees it with vast exertion elevate the stone, and begin its 

 arduous retrograde ascent : at every moment the burthen totters to one 

 side or the other: the adroit porter lifts up the segments of its back to 

 balance it, and has already nearly reached the top of the pit, when a 

 stumble or a jolt mocks all its efforts, and the stone tumbles headlong to 

 the bottom. Mortified, but not despairing, the ant-lion returns to the 

 charge ; again replaces the stone on its back ; again ascends the side, and 

 artfully avails himself, for a road, of the channel formed by the falling 

 stone, against the sides of which he can support his load. This time 

 possibly he succeeds ; or it may be, as is often the case, the stone again 

 rolls down. When thus unfortunate, our little Sisyphus has been seen six 

 times patiently to renew his attempt, and was at last, as such heroic reso- 

 lution deserved, successful. It is only after a series of trials have demon- 

 strated the impossibility of succeeding that our engineer yields to fate, and, 

 quitting his half-excavated pit, begins the formation of another. 



When all obstacles are overcome, and the pit is finished, it presents 

 itself as a conical hole rather more than two inches deep, gradually con- 

 tracting to a point at the bottom, and about three inches wide at the top.^ 

 The ant-lion now takes its station at the bottom of the pit, and, that its 

 gruff appearance may not scare the passengers which approach its den, 

 covers itself with sand all except the points of its expanded forceps. It 

 is not long before an ant on its travels, fearing no harm, steps upon the 

 margin of the pit, either accidentally or for the purpose of exploring the 

 depth below. Alas ! its curiosity is dearly gratified. The faitliless sand 

 slides from under its feet ; its struggles but hasten its descent ; and it is 

 precipitated headlong into the jaws of the concealed devourer. Some- 

 times, however, it chances that the ant is able to stop itself midway, and 

 with all haste scrambles up again. No sooner does the ant-lion perceive 

 this (for, being furnished with six eyes on each side of his head, he is 

 sufficiently sharp-sighted), then shaking off his inactivity, he hastily 

 shovels loads of sand upon his head, and vigorously throws them up in 

 quick succession upon the escaping insect, which, attacked by such a 

 heavy sliower from below and treading on so unstable a path, is almost 

 inevitably carried to the bottom. The instant his victim is fairly within 

 reach, the ant-lion seizes him between his jaws, which are admirable 

 instruments, at the same time hooked for holding, and grooved on the 

 inner side, so as to form with the adjoining maxillae, which move up and 

 down in the groove, a tube for sucking, and at his leisure extracting all 

 the juices of the body, regales upon formic acid. The dry carcass he 

 subsequently jerks out of liis den, that it may not encumber him in his 



' The nests of this animal which I saw at Fontainebleau (in the pit producing the fossil 

 named after that place) were scarcely half the dimensions here given, but ihey might 

 probably be younger insects. I kept one in a box of saml several days, in which il regu- 

 larly formed its pit, whenever obliterated by shaliing. The bottom of the box unfortunately 

 came oul as I was upon my return to England, and the animal was killed. 



