The Black-Bellied Tarantxila 



The object of these hunting methods was 

 not exactly to obt;i:n Tarantulae: I had not 

 the least wish to rear the Spider in a bottle. 

 I was interested in a different matter. Here, 

 thought I. is an ardent huntress, ll\-ing solely 

 by her trade. She does not prepare preserved 

 foodstutis for her onspring:^ she herself feeds 

 on the prey which she catches. She is not a 

 'paralyzer'- who cleverly spares her quarry so 

 as to leave it a glimmer of life and keep it 

 fresh for weeks at a time; she is a killer, 

 who makes a meal off her capture on the 

 spot. With her, there is no methodical 

 ^^^-isection, which destroys movement with- 

 out entirely destroying life, but ::bsolute 

 death, as sudden as possible, which protects 

 the assaihuit from the counter-attacks of the 

 assailed. 



Her game, moreover, is essentially bulky 

 and not always of the most peacefal char- 

 acter. This Diana, ambushed in her tower, 

 needs a prey worthy of her prowess. The 

 big Grasshopper, with the powerful jaws; the 

 irascible Wasp; the Bee, the Bvumble-bee and 

 other wearers of poisoned daggers must fall 



'Like :he P-.:r.g^-"ree:'.es, — ^'•J^--.".;;."'•■,5 .W.'t". 

 T_£ke the Sdicary Wisps. — Trj':j^::i:'r's XsU. 



59 



