e day, and is usually found quietly sitting
amongst the leaves of plants, and seems to be one of the most pacific
and harmless of insects. How very different with the larva--the very
reverse--See!"

Dona Isidora pointed to the ant-lion that was just then beginning to
bestir itself, and both sat silent regarding it attentively.

First, then, the little creature going backwards, and working with its
callipers, traced a circle on the surface of the sand. This circle was
between two and three inches in diameter. Having completed it, it now
commenced to clear out all the sand within the circle. To accomplish
this, it was seen to scrape up the sand with one of its fore-feet, and
shovel a quantity of it upon its flat head; then, giving a sudden jerk
of the neck, it pitched the sand several inches outside the traced
circumference. This operation it repeated so often, and so adroitly,
that in a very short time a round pit began to show itself in the
surface of the ground. Wherever it encountered a stone, this was raised
between its callipers and pitched out beyond the ring. Sometimes stones
occurred that were too large to be thrown out in this way. These it
managed to get upon its back, and, then crawling cautiously up the sides
of the pit, it tumbled them upon the edge and rolled them away. Had it
met with a stone so large as to render this impossible, it would have
left the place, and chosen another spot of ground. Fortunately this was
not the case, and they had an opportunity of watching the labour to its
conclusion.

For nearly an hour they sat watching it--of course not neglecting their
other affairs--and, at the end of that time, the ant-lion had jerked out
so much sand, that a little funnel-shaped pit was formed nearly as deep
as it was wide. This was its trap, and it was now finished and ready
for action.

Having made all its arrangements, it had nothing more to do than remain
at the bottom of the pit and wait patiently until some unfortunate ant
should chance to come that way and fall in; and where these insects were
constantly wandering over the ground, such an accident would, sooner or
later, be certain to take place.

Lest the ant should peep into the pit, discover its hideous form below,
and then retreat, this ant-lion had actually the cunning to bury its
body in the sand, leaving only a small portion of its head to be seen.

Both Dona Isidora and the little Leona remained watching with increased
i