X THE SPHEX OF LANGUEDOC 143 



fail to give an occasional, distant glance at the 

 ephippiger left on the way, to make sure that 

 nothing touches it. This prudence recalls that of 

 the Scarabseus sacer issuing from the hole which 

 it is digging to feel its dear ball, and bring it a 

 little nearer. 



The deduction to be drawn from the facts just 

 stated is evident. Since every Sphex occitanica we 

 surprise while it burrows — be it at the very begin- 

 ning, at the first stroke of her tarsi in the dust, 

 or later, the dwelling being ready — makes a short 

 expedition on foot or on the wing, and always finds 

 a victim already stabbed, already paralysed, one 

 may conclude with certainty that she first makes 

 her capture, and later burrows, so that the place 

 of capture decides that of the domicile. 



This reversal of method which prepares the food 

 before the larder, while previously we saw the larder 

 precede the food, I attribute to the weight of the 

 prey being too great to carry on the wing. It is 

 not that S. occitanica is ill-organised for flight ; on the 

 contrary, she can soar splendidly, but her prey would 

 overwhelm her if she depended only on her wings. 

 She needs the support of the ground and must drag 

 her prey, and displays wonderful vigour in doing 

 this. Loaded with prey she always goes on foot, 

 or takes very short flights when these spare time 

 and toil. Let me quote an instance taken from my 

 latest observations on this curious Hymenopteron. 



A Sphex appeared suddenly, whence I know not, 

 dragging an ephippiger apparently just caught hard 

 by. As things were she had to burrow, but the 

 position was as bad as possible — a highway, hard as 



