The Eumenes 



already fairly large. Like the egg, it hangs 

 perpendicularly, by its rear-end, from the 

 ceiling; but the suspension-cord has gained 

 considerably in length and consists of the 

 original thread eked out by a sort of ribbon. 

 The grub is at dinner: head downwards, it 

 is digging into the limp belly of one of the 

 caterpillars. I touch up the game that is 

 still intact with a straw. The caterpillars 

 grow restless. The grub forthwith retires 

 from the fray. And how? Marvel is 

 added to marvel: what I took for a flat 

 cord, for a ribbon, at the lower end of the 

 suspension-thread, is a sheath, a scabbard, a 

 sort of ascending gallery wherein the grub 

 crawls backwards and makes its way up. 

 The cast shell of the egg, retaining its cyl- 

 indrical form and perhaps lengthened by a 

 special operation on the part of the new- 

 born larva, forms this safety-channel. At 

 the least sign of danger in the heap of cater- 

 pillars, the larva retreats into its sheath and 

 climbs back to the ceiling, where the swarm- 

 ing rabble cannot reach it. When peace is 

 restored, it slides down its case and returns 

 to table, with its head over the viands and 

 its rear upturned and ready to withdraw in 

 case of need. 



Third and last act. Strength and vigour 

 25 



