The Life of the Spider 



a fortress rather than a villa, is a burrow 

 about nine inches deep and as wide as the 

 neck of a claret-bottle. The direction is per- 

 pendicular, in so far as obstacles, frequent in 

 a soil of this kind, permit. A bit of gravel 

 can be extracted and hoisted outside; but a 

 flint is an immovable boulder which the 

 Spider avoids by giving a bend to her gallery. 

 If more such are met with, the residence be- 

 comes a winding cave, with stone vaults, with 

 lobbies communTcating by ineaiiF~of sharp 

 passages. 



This lack of plan has no attendant draw- 

 backs, so well does the owner, from long 

 habit, know every comer and storey of her 

 mansion. If any interesting buzz occur 

 overhead, the Lycosa chmbs up from her 

 ruggedjnanor with the same speed as from 

 a vertical shaft. Perhaps she even finds the 

 windings and turnings an advantage, when 

 she has to drag into her^n a prey that hap- 

 jpens to defend itself. 



As a rule, the end of the burrow widens 

 into a sjde-chamber, a lounge or restmg-place 

 where the Spider meditates at lengtE~ahd is 

 content to lead a life of quiet when her belly 

 is full. 



128 



