The Wisdom of Instinct 



I not? That thing's not mine. Who or 

 what is trying to humbug me? " 



At any rate, the Sphex shows no great 

 hurry to attack my prey with her mandibles. 

 She keeps away from it and shows not the 

 smallest wish to seize it. To excite her, I 

 offer the insect to her in my fingers, I almost 

 thrust the antennae under her teeth. I know 

 that she does not suffer from shyness; I know 

 that she wjU come and take from your fingers, 

 without hesitation, the prey which you have 

 snatched from her and afterwards present 

 to her. But what is this? Scorning my of- 

 fers, the Sphex retreats instead of snapping 

 up what I place within her reach. I put 

 down the Ephippiger, who, obeying a 

 thoughtless impulse, unconscious of danger, 

 goes straight to his assassin. Now we shall 

 see ! Alas, no : the Sphex continues to recoil, 

 like a regular coward, and ends by flying 

 away. I never saw her again. Thus ended, 

 to my confusion, an experiment that had filled 

 me with such enthusiasm. 



Later and by degrees, as I inspected an in- 

 creasing number of burrows, I came to under- 

 stand my failure and the obstinate refusal of 

 the Sphex. I always found the provisions to 

 consist, without a single exception, of a 

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