64 INSECT LIFE iv 



no attempt at defence, so terrified was she. I 

 could devise nothing more ; my desire to be present 

 at the denoitment had only added to former diffi- 

 culties. Well, let us try again. 



A luminous idea flashed upon me, bringing hope, 

 so naturally did it touch the very heart of the 

 question. Of course, it was the right thing and 

 must succeed. My disdained game must be offered 

 to the Cerceris in the heat of the chase — then, 

 absorbed and preoccupied, she will not discover its 

 imperfections. I have already said that on returning 

 from the chase the Cerceris alights at the foot of the 

 incline at some distance from the hole, whither she 

 laboriously drags the prey. What I then had to do 

 was to deprive her of her victim, drawing it away by 

 one foot with pincers, and instantly throwing her the 

 living weevil in exchange. This manoeuvre suc- 

 ceeded perfectly. As soon as the Cerceris felt the 

 prey slip under her body and escape her, she stamped 

 with impatience, turned round, and perceiving the 

 weevil which had replaced hers, flung herself upon 

 it and clasped it in order to carry it away. But she 

 promptly perceived that this prey was alive, and 

 then the drama began and ended with inconceivable 

 rapidity. The Cerceris faced her victim, seized its 

 proboscis with her powerful jaws and grasped it 

 vigorously, and while the weevil reared itself up, 

 pressed her forefeet hard on its back as if to force 

 open some ventral articulation. Then the tail of the 

 murderess slid under the Cleonus, curved and darted 

 its poisoned lancet swiftly two or three times at the 

 joining of the prothorax, between the first and second 

 pair of feet. In a twinkling all was over. Without 



