2o8 ODD HOURS WITH NATURE 



It is an interesting sight to watch them when 

 thus engaged. They prefer to operate on a pear 

 from which a blackbird or starling has taken a 

 beakful, and it is no uncommon thing to find 

 them eat out the entire inside of the fruit, leaving 

 the skin intact, save for the original bird-made 

 entrance hole. When thus employed they fight 

 fierce battles with one another, grappling and 

 savagely biting, but apparently never iising the 

 sting. That seems to be reserved for enemies of 

 another race. Bluebottle -flies have also a fancy for 

 ripe pears, and it is amusing to note the hasty way 

 in which one of them abandons a fruit when a 

 wasp comes to take possession. When wasps are 

 engaged on ripe pears, so greedily engrossed do 

 they become that it is a perfectly easy thing to 

 seize one by the wings for examination. Its rage 

 when so seized is great, and frantic efforts are 

 made to sting, but when liberated it will generally 

 be found to make straight again for the pear. 

 A little earlier in the season a wasp, taken liberties 

 with in this way, would put aside every other 

 thought in favour of revenge. 



