THE ANIMAL KINGDOM. 171 



cession masses of sand upon its victim, which accelerate 

 its fall to the bottom of the gulf Once there it is infallibly 

 lost; the Neuropteron, thirsting for blood, shows no mercy. ^ 



But if the ant-lion were to keep the remains of its food 

 near it the snare would soon be converted into an unin- 

 habitable charnel-house ; it must therefore get rid of them 

 at any sacrifice. For this purpose, whenever the larva has 

 sucked an insect, it places the corpse upon its head, and 

 then, by a vast effort, launches it into the air, and some- 

 times a long way from the borders of its hole, in order to 

 obviate the suspicion which the corpses of its victims might 

 suggest to the imprudent travellers towards the fatal re- 

 fuge. In some observations which I made on the ant-lions, 

 I saw them in this way launch flies and large ants three 

 inches from their dwellings. 



Other hunters, less ingenious but more brave, proceed 

 like regular birds of prey. They are the Raptores of the 

 insect world, which in their agile and powerful flight swoop 

 down like the falcon and seize it in mid-air. To these be- 

 long the beautiful insects with transj)arent iridescent wings 

 which fly near our pools, and which are commonly known 

 as dragon-flies. 



Although Minerva, in her jealousy, broke the loom of 

 Arachne, even though transformed into a spider, the ob- 

 scure rival of the goddess nevertheless executes wonder- 

 ful tasks. Some spiders are remarkable for the perfection 

 of their weaving; in others the arrangement reveals the 



^ The larva of a fly [Rhagio vermileo), not unlike the common flesh-maggot, 

 constructs a funnel-shaped opening like that of the ant-lion. At the bottom of 

 this it lies waiting for grubs which fall into the trap, and on which it feeds. 

 Should they attempt to escape it hurls jets of sand-earth at them, and not 

 unfrequently Ijrings them down again. The ant-lion, though not unconmion in 

 France and Switzerland, has not, I believe, of late years at least, been seen in 

 Britain. — Tr. 



