X THE SPHEX OF LANGUEDOC 145 



burrow the ill-balanced prey slipped and fell to the 

 foot of the wall. She must begin again, and again 

 by means of an escalade. The same imprudence is 

 repeated ; once more left on the curved tile the prey 

 slips and falls to the ground. With a calm which 

 such accidents cannot disturb, the Sphex for the 

 third time hoists the ephippiger by climbing the 

 wall, and, better advised, drags it straight to the 

 bottom of the hole. 



If carrying the prey on the wing has not been 

 attempted even in such conditions as the above, it is 

 clear that the Sphex is incapable of flight with so 

 heavy a load. To this impotence we owe the few 

 details of habits which are the subject of this chapter. 

 A prey not too heavy to be carried on the wing makes 

 a semi-sociable species of S. flavipennis — that is to 

 say, one seeking the company of its fellows ; a heavy 

 prey impossible to carry through the air renders 

 S. occitanica a species devoted to solitary labour — 

 a kind of savage, disdainful of the solace derived 

 from neighbourhood of one's fellows. The greater 

 or lesser weight of their prey decides the funda- 

 mental character. 



