222 TRANSFORMATIONS OF INSECTS. 
full growth. The cocoons are made out of a paper-like tissue, 
and are soft and shining, and of a brown tint. 
A very beautiful /Yymznoptera renders immense service to 
the inhabitants of the Islands Maurice and Bourbon, and they 
only regret that the insect is rather uncommon. This Chlorion 
compressum constructs its nest very much like the Pelopeus, but 
it does not hunt the same prey. All the seaport towns of those 
colonies are infested with cockroaches, which do an infinitude 
of mischief. Fortunately, they have many enemies, and the most 
terrible of all is the insect just mentioned. It is by no means 
an unusual thing for a struggle to be witnessed between one of 
THE NEST OF fLelofeus DETACHED AND SEEN FROM WITHIN. 
these agile Sphegide and a cumbersome Slatfa or cockroach, 
but it appears wonderful what use the small insect can possibly 
make of the larger, and how it can manage to drag such a bulky 
body into its small nest. 
The Chlorion may be seen hunting about here and there, and 
up and down the roadside and gardens, searching for its favourite 
prey. It spies out a cockroach, which appears to know intuitively 
that there is danger at hand, for it shows symptoms of great 
fright, and seems so confused that it cannot run away. The 
Chlorion pounces upon the insect, clasps it with its mandibles 
between the head and the corselet, and stabs it in the body with 
the sting. Then it flies off for a little distance, and awaits the 
effects of the poison thus introduced ; and when the convulsions of 
