226 DEL AGO A BAY. 



with it, lasting many hours, as I can painfully 

 verify. Some of these bugs are gregarious, and 

 I have seen many a tree trunk looking as if 

 covered with patches of lacework, the long legs 

 of the many bugs interlacing and forming a 

 pattern. When noticed or touched they usually 

 go backwards, raising themselves up very high 

 and walking in a prancing manner ; and if dis- 

 turbed when all are busily engaged in feasting 

 off a large caterpillar, one or two of the strongest 

 and most daring will drag it off with them ; they 

 rarely abandon it. 



Many of the wasp family also prey on cater- 

 pillars as well as other insects, and I once 

 watched quite a small black fellow dragging a fat 

 green caterpillar along the path between his legs, 

 as it was very much too big for him to fly off 

 with. He was only just able by a great effort to 

 jerk it up over such small obstacles as little bits 

 of stick or grass he happened to meet. I should 

 imagine a fat caterpillar must be looked upon as 

 a great treat a sort of juicy steak, in fact, with 

 no unpleasant legs or wings or stings to get in 



