206 LITTLE FOLKS 
unwary spider chances to fall into his pit, it will meet just as warm 
a reception as the ant, in fact, warmer, for the spider or beetle is 
not so easily conquered, but fights for its life. He will struggle 
and try to climb the slippery sides, thus bringing down quantities 
of the sand, but the Ant Lion all the time throws it out with that 
useful head of his, often hitting the struggler with a shower of 
sand and bringing him back to the bottom. 
Some writers say that the cunning little fellow deliberately 
throws the sand at his enemy, to bring him down, but I believe it 
is not generally thought that he is so wise as that. 
When the battle is over and the Ant Lion has sucked all the 
juices out of his victim, he takes the empty carcass on his head, 
gives it a jerk, and throws it out of the pit, so far off — as much as 
six inches — as not to have any suspicious looking bones around to 
frighten the next timid ant that comes along. But after a hard 
fight the pit is apt to be injured, the sides are half pulled in, and 
in fact, the particular little fellow don't feel at all satisfied to stay 
in it. He never fixes up the old pit, but always goes to a new 
place and digs a new one. 
The Ant Lion is not a very pretty fellow ; in fact, he locks 
more like a fat spider with short legs, than anything else. His 
body is round and covered with little tufts of black hair. 
You'll hardly believe me when I tell you he is a sort of rela- 
tive of the elegant dragon fly, that I told you about ; but don't be 
in haste to decide. I have only told you about the first part of his 
life, and you know insects have three shapes before they get 
through the world. 
When the Ant Lion has eaten as many ants as he wants, and 
begins to feel stupid and sleepy, he goes to work to build himself a 
snug house, where he can pass the second state of his wonderful 
life, and not be himself eaten by some bigger insect. This house 
is called his cocoon, and is made of fine sand glued together with 
silken threads which he spins himself. 
This silk and sand house is less than half an inch in diameter 
and is round. Inside it is lined with silk, and there he passes a 
quiet season of rest after his hard labors as an Ant Lion. When 
ready to come out, he gnaws a hole through the house and draws 
himself out. But what a change has come over him ! When he 
has taken a breath or two of air, his body suddenly grows three 
times as large as it was in the cocoon, four broad gauzy wings 
