VESPA'S FOOD SUPPLY 59 



The fruit-grower thinks otherwise and 

 looks with eyes of wrath upon the white- 

 and-black, or yellow-and-black imps that 

 ruin his best fruit and sting him if he 

 presumes to interfere. 



Sometimes the wasps eat all the pulp 

 from a specially attractive fruit, though 

 too often their epicurean tastes are con- 

 tent only with the best of a pear or an 

 apple, taking out enough to spoil it and 

 leaving the rest. Almost every one has 

 had the experience of picking up what 

 looked like a perfect pear or apple and 

 finding it a mere shell filled with wasps. 

 Such an apple was once given a shake, 

 when out through the single hole that 

 gave entrance to the interior came a tail 

 wildly brandishing a sting, ready for busi- 

 ness. After the tail came the rest of the 

 wasp, who, once fairly out, flew about her 

 afl^airs without molesting the hand that 

 held the apple. After this successful exit 

 came another tail brandishing a fiery dart, 



