FABRE'S BOOK OF INSECTS 



leads also to variation in number. One cell will con- 

 tain a dozen Spiders, while in another there are only five 

 or six. 



Another reason for her choice of small Spiders is that 

 she kills them before potting them in her cells. She 

 falls suddenly upon her prey, and carries it off almost 

 without pausing in her flight. The skilful paralysis 

 practised by some insects is unknown to her. This means 

 that when the food is stored it soon decays. Fortunately 

 the Spiders are small enough to be finished at a single 

 meal. If they were large and could only be nibbled 

 here and there, they would decay, and poison the grubs 

 in the nest. 



I always find the egg, not on the surface of the heap, 

 but on the first Spider that was stored. There is no 

 exception to this rule. The Wasp places a Spider at 

 the bottom of the cell, lays her egg upon it, and then 

 piles the other Spiders on the top. By this clever plan 

 the grub is obliged to begin on the oldest of the dead 

 Spiders, and then go on to the more recent. It always 

 finds in front of it food that has not had time to decom- 

 pose. 



The egg is always laid on the same part of the Spider, 

 the end containing the head being placed on the plumpest 

 spot. This is very pleasant for the grub, for the moment 

 it is hatched it can begin eating the tenderest and nicest 



[80] 



