CHAPTER XVI 



A PARASITE OF THE BEMBEX. THE COCOON 



I HAVE shown the Bembex hovering 

 -■■ with her cumbrous prize above the 

 nest and then dropping vertically and very 

 slowly: a hesitating descent accompanied by 

 a sort of plaintive hum. This cautious ar- 

 rival might suggest that the insect is exam- 

 ining the ground from above in order to find, 

 its door and trying to recall the locality be- 

 fore alighting. But another motive is at 

 work, as I propose to demonstrate. Under 

 ordinary conditions, when no sign of danger 

 is apparent, the Wasp comes suddenly, at full 

 tilt, without any hovering, hesitating or whim- 

 pering, and settles at once on her threshold 

 or very near it. Her memory is so faithful 

 that she has no need to search about. Let 

 us then look into the cause of that hesitating 

 approach which I described in the last chap- 

 ter. 



The W^asp hovers, descends slowly, ascends 

 again, flies away and returns, because the 

 nest is threatened by a very grave danger. 



