22 THE INDUSTRIES OF ANIMALS. 



that is to say that the proprietor has no intention of 

 causing any pedestrian to roll to the bottom. It is 

 simply a place of concealment in which he awaits 

 the propitious moment. No creature is more patient 

 than this insect, and no delay discourages him. As 

 soon as some small animal approaches his hiding- 

 place he throws himself on it impetuously, kills 

 it, and devours it. Near his ditch he has hollowed a 

 second of a much coarser character, the walls of which 

 have not been smoothed with the same care. One 

 here sees elytra and claws piled up; they are the hard 

 and horny parts which he has not been able to eat. 

 The heap in this ditch is not then an alimentary store. 

 It is the oubliette in which the Staphilinus buries the 

 remains of his victims. If he allowed them to 

 accumulate around his hole all pedestrians would 

 come to fear this spot and to avoid it. It would be 

 like the dwelling of a Polypus, which is marked by 

 the numerous carapaces of crabs and shells which 

 strew the neighbourhood. 



The ambuscade of the Ant-lion is classic; it does 

 not differ greatly from the others. He excavates a 

 conical pitfall, in which he conceals himself, and 

 seizes the unfortunate ants and other insects whom 

 ill-chance causes to roll into it.^ 



The baited ambush. — A variety of ambush which 

 brings this method of hunting to considerable per- 

 fection lies in inciting the prey to approach the 

 hiding-place instead of trusting to chance to bring 

 it there. In such circumstances Man places some 

 allurement in the neighbourhood — that is to say, one 

 of the foods preferred by the desired victim, or at 



1 See e.g. Tennent, Ceylon, vol. i. p. 252. Also R&umur, MSmoires 

 four d'histoire des Insectes, t. i. p. 14, and t. vi, p. 333. 



