Mantis tries to open her saw-toothed arm-guards;
in vain the Hornet makes play with her dagger; in vain the Beetle
stiffens his legs and arches his back: a fresh wave of threads swoops
down and paralyses every effort.

The ancient retiarius, when pitted against a powerful wild beast,
appeared in the arena with a rope-net folded over his left shoulder.
The animal made its spring. The man, with a sudden movement of his
right arm, cast the net after the manner of the fisherman; he covered
the beast and tangled it in the meshes. A thrust of the trident gave
the quietus to the vanquished foe.

The Epeira acts in like fashion, with this advantage, that she is able
to renew her armful of fetters. Should the first not suffice, a second
instantly follows and another and yet another, until the reserves of
silk become exhausted.

When all movement ceases under the snowy winding-sheet, the Spider goes
up to her bound prisoner. She has a better weapon than the bestiarius'
trident: she has her poison-fangs. She gnaws at the Locust, without
undue persistence, and then withdraws, leaving the torpid patient to
pine away.

These lavished, far-flung ribbons threaten to exhaust the factory; it
would be much more economical to resort to the method of the spool;
but, to turn the machine, the Spider would have to go up to it and work
it with her leg. This is too risky; and hence the continuous spray of
silk, at a safe distance. When all is used up, there is more to come.

Still, the Epeira seems concerned at this excessive outlay. When
circumstances permit, she gladly returns to the mechanism of the
revolving spool. I saw her practice this abrupt change of tactics on a
big Beetle, with a smooth, plump body, which lent itself admirably to
the rotary process. After depriving the beast of all power of movement,
she went up to it and turned her corpulent victim as she would have
done with a medium-sized Moth.

But with the Praying Mantis, sticking out her long legs and her
spreading wings, rotation is no longer feasible. Then, until the quarry
is thoroughly subdued, the spray of bandages goes on continuously, even
to the point of drying up the silk glands. A capture of this kind is
ruinous. It is true that, except when I interfered, I have never seen
the Spider tackle that formidable provender.

Be it feeble or strong, the game is now neatly trussed, by one of the
two methods. The next move never varies. The bound insect is bitten,
witho