on
the Carpenter-bee. The fact is that a quarry of this kind cannot be
seized recklessly: the huntress who missed her stroke by biting at random
would do so at the risk of her life. The nape of the neck alone
possesses the desired vulnerability. The adversary must be nipped there
and no elsewhere. Not to floor her at once would mean to irritate her
and make her more dangerous than ever. The Spider is well aware of this.
In the safe shelter of her threshold, therefore, prepared to beat a quick
retreat if necessary, she watches for the favourable moment; she waits
for the big Bee to face her, when the neck is easily grabbed. If this
condition of success offer, she leaps out and acts; if not, weary of the
violent evolutions of the quarry, she retires indoors. And that, no
doubt, is why it took me two sittings of four hours apiece to witness
three assassinations.

Formerly, instructed by the paralysing Wasps, I had myself tried to
produce paralysis by injecting a drop of ammonia into the thorax of those
insects, such as Weevils, Buprestes, {13} and Dung-beetles, whose compact
nervous system assists this physiological operation. I showed myself a
ready pupil to my masters' teaching and used to paralyze a Buprestis or a
Weevil almost as well as a Cerceris {14} could have done. Why should I
not to-day imitate that expert butcher, the Tarantula? With the point of
a fine needle, I inject a tiny drop of ammonia at the base of the skull
of a Carpenter-bee or a Grasshopper. The insect succumbs then and there,
without any other movement than wild convulsions. When attacked by the
acrid fluid, the cervical ganglia cease to do their work; and death
ensues. Nevertheless, this death is not immediate; the throes last for
some time. The experiment is not wholly satisfactory as regards
suddenness. Why? Because the liquid which I employ, ammonia, cannot be
compared, for deadly efficacy, with the Lycosa's poison, a pretty
formidable poison, as we shall see.

I make a Tarantula bite the leg of a young, well-fledged Sparrow, ready
to leave the nest. A drop of blood flows; the wounded spot is surrounded
by a reddish circle, changing to purple. The bird almost immediately
loses the use of its leg, which drags, with the toes doubled in; it hops
upon the other. Apart from this, the patient does not seem to trouble
much about his hurt; his appetite is good. My daughters feed him on
Flies, bread-crumb, apricot-pulp. He is sure