WASPS, SOCIAL AND SOLITARY 







bee with one rapid powerful motion, and stung it just 

 under the neck as before. Then holding it with the 

 second legs she began to fly about in the glass. We now 

 introduced another bee, whereupon the first one was 

 relinquished, and the second was treated in exactly the 

 same way. The stinging was the beginning and the end 

 of the operation, and when we released her she at once 

 took the bee into the nest. There was no malaxation 

 outside, and certainly there was none within, as was 

 shown by the rapidity with which the wasps issued from 

 the nest after storing the bees. We were successful in 

 getting the wasps to sting only when we tried the experi- 

 ment with those that were hunting. When those that had 

 not yet begun to store their nests were put into the glass 

 they paid no attention to the bees. 



The victim of the sting of punctatus is killed at once. 

 Life is extinct from the instant that the stroke is given. 

 This is true also of the honey-bee that is the victim of 

 Fabre's Philanthus apivorus; but the explanation that 

 he gives of the action of his wasp in thus dealing sudden 

 death instead of paralyzing its foe - - that the honey 

 must be sucked out of the bee before it can be safely used 

 as food for the larva - - does not hold good in our case, 

 since the honey that Halictus carries to mix with the 

 pollen upon which her offspring are fed, is not removed. 



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