The Hunting Wasps 



to fly off on a fresh chase. In less than ten 

 minutes, the skilled huntress had found a new 

 victim, performed the murder and accom- 

 plished the rape, which I often allowed my- 

 self to turn to my own profit. Eight times in 

 succession I have committed the same rob- 

 bery at the expense of the same Wasp; eight 

 times, with unshaken consistency, she has 

 recommenced her fruitless expedition. Her 

 patience outwore mine; and I left her in un- 

 disturbed possession of her ninth capture. 



By this means, or by violating cells already 

 provisioned, I procured close upon a hundred 

 Weevils; and, notwithstanding what I was 

 entitled to expect from what Leon Dufour 

 has told us of the habits of the Buprestis- 

 hunting Cerceris, I could not repress my sur- 

 prise at the sight of the singular collection 

 U^hich I had made. Whereas the Buprestis- 

 slayer, while confining herself to one genus, 

 passes indiscriminately from one species to 

 another, the more exclusive Great Cerceris 

 preys invariably on the same species, Cleonus 

 ophthalmicus. When going through my bag, 

 I came upon but one exception and even that 

 belonged to a kindred species, Cleonus alter- 

 nans, a species which I never saw again in 

 my frequent visits to the Cerceris. Later re- 

 26 



