The Odyneri 



larvse frisk and fidget; curled at first in the 

 shape of a ring, they uncurl themselves and 

 curl again, if I do no more than slowly turn 

 the small glass tube in which I have im- 

 prisoned them. When touched with the 

 point of a needle, they struggle abruptly. 

 Some succeed in shifting their position. 

 While engaged in rearing the Odynerus' 

 egg, I opened the cell lengthwise, so as to 

 reduce it to a semicylinder; in the little 

 trench thus made, which was kept horizon- 

 tal, I placed a few head of game. Next 

 day usually I found that one of them had 

 fallen out, a proof of movement, of a 

 change of position, even when nothing was 

 disturbing its repose. 



These larvae, I am firmly convinced, have 

 ■been wounded by the Odynerus' sting, for 

 she would not carry a rapier merely for 

 show. Possessing a weapon, she employs 

 it. However, the wound is so slight that 

 Reaumur and Leon Dufour did not suspect 

 its existence. To their mind the prey was 

 alive; to mine it is very nearly alive. In 

 these conditions we can see to what perils 

 the Odynerus' egg would be exposed but for 

 exquisitely prudent precautions. There they 

 are, those restless grubs, to the number of 

 two dozen in one cell, side by side with 

 45 



