The Great Cerceris 



Yes, that must be it; the thing was bound to 

 succeed. I must offer my scorned game to 

 the Cerceris in the heat of the chase. Then, 

 carried away by her absorbing preoccupation, 

 she would not perceive its imperfections. 



I have already said that, on her return 

 from hunting, the Cerceris alights at the foot 

 of the slope, at some distance from the hole, 

 whither she laboriously drags her prey. It 

 became a matter therefore of robbing her of 

 her victim by drawing it away by one foot 

 with my forceps and at once throwing her 

 the live Weevil in exchange. The trick suc- 

 ceeded to perfection. As soon as the 

 Cerceris felt her prey slip from under her 

 belly and escape her, she tapped the ground 

 impatiently with her feet, turned round and, 

 perceiving the Weevil that had taken the 

 place of her own, flung herself upon him and 

 clasped him in her legs to carry him away. 

 But she soon became aware that her prey was 

 alive; and now the tragedy began, only to 

 end with inconceivable rapidity. The Wasp 

 faced her victim and, gripping its snout with 

 her powerful mandibles, soon had it at her 

 mercy. Then, while the Weevil reared on 

 his six legs, the other pressed her forefeet vio- 

 lently on his back, as if to force open some 

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