THE CICADA'S LAST SONG 253 
country people to-day who would as quickly at- 
tack a rattlesnake as this big sand -hornet, and 
who " absolutely know " of men who have been 
" knocked down " and even " killed " by one stab 
of its sting. However this may be, it is well to 
keep at a respectful distance. When we know 
what the little yellow-jacket can do with its tiny 
dagger, and then reflect that this sand - hornet's 
javelin is about a third of an inch long, we can 
draw our own conclusions, and will readily under- 
stand why it was that our cicada's song was cut 
short. " But why didn't the hornet eat him on 
the spot? Why should it fly away with him and 
yank him about so unmercifully?" This is a 
common question with those who have observed 
the episode above described. A visit to the sand 
bank would have explained the object of it all. 
The exposed surface is seen to be perforated here 
and there with holes as large as one's little finger, 
while from one of them an occasional tiny stream 
of sand pours out, and we catch a glimpse of the 
horny, spiked legs of the digger-wasp within. 
Even as we observe him closely a loud hum is 
heard, and a filmy, buzzing object falls precipitate- 
ly upon the bank, and in the jumble of wings and 
black bodies we now distinguish our hornet and 
cicada, which only a moment before had started 
from the edge of the shed roof above. The cicada 
is apparently dead, and is now an easy prey as the 
