1 88 LIFE AND HER CHILDREN. 
from her hiding-place to the centre of the web. 
Here she herself gives it a shake to find whether it 
will be answered, showing that a live object is causing 
the disturbance. The unfortunate fly quivers in the 
toils, betraying its whereabouts, and straight the 
spider darts upon it, and with one sharp bite ends its 
life. It is not however, strictly speaking, with her 
mouth that she has bitten it, but with those two 
poison fangs which we spoke of just now, which hang 
down over the mouth. While she was spinning her 
web, or patiently waiting under the leaves, these fangs 
(/) were shut into the cases above them (ft K) just 
as a clasp knife is shut into its handle ; but directly 
she seized her prey they were opened, and the sharp 
points driven into the fly's body gave out poison from 
their tips, and quickly put an end to its life. 
And now, being hungry, she seizes the dead fly 
with the two feelers or palpi of her jaws, and hold- 
ing it to her mouth sucks out its tender juices ; and 
she has no need to pause for breath, for you will 
remember that she does not breathe through her 
mouth. It is under her abdomen that you must 
look for the two narrow slits (b\ through which air 
is taken into sacs within her body. 
But another interruption occurs. While she is 
still busy with her meal, a fresh shake of the web 
informs her that a new victim is caught, and she 
hastens to the spot. This time it is a strong night- 
beetle which is caught in the toils, and she cannot 
grapple with him so rashly as with the fly, while his 
struggles threaten to break the net. In this dilemma 
she has a stratagem ready. Pressing her spinnerets 
against the web, she begins to weave round him a 
