THE SPIDER-HUNTERS 



you are endowed with energy beyond your fellows you 

 are but meagrely furnished with reason. 



Again we availed ourselves of our opportunity, and 

 substituted our spider for hers. This time it had grown 

 weary of playing its motionless role, and frequent read- 

 justments were necessary in order to keep it in position. 

 At the moment that the wasp came back to take it, the 

 spider scrambled from its place and began to make its 

 way along the stem. The wasp evidently saw it, for she 

 hovered over it a moment. She then flew to the next 

 plant, where she hunted about over the leaves and 

 branches in search of her lost treasure. After a time 

 she returned. The spider had now come to a standstill, 

 and the wasp examined it attentively, although without 

 touching it. She then flew away without circling at all, 

 which might, perhaps, be taken as an indication that 

 she had no intention of returning to a place where she 

 had fared so badly. 



Just at this moment we chanced to see another para- 

 lyzed strix hanging near by. Again the exchange of 

 our specimen was accomplished; but when the second 

 wasp came to find her spider she gave us no more satis- 

 faction than the first. The substitute hung there quietly 

 enough. We ourselves could not have distinguished it 

 from the original, but quinquenotatus took a good look 



209 



