The Odyneri 



the difficulty. Up to this point, that is the 

 method adopted by the Eumenes; but soon 

 the young larva, having eaten its first grub, 

 drops off the thread that gave it a support 

 whereby to shrink out of harm's way. A 

 sequence of conditions now begins, all di- 

 rected towards its welfare. 



Prudence demands that the very young 

 larva shall first attack the most inoffensive 

 of the grubs, that is those most nearly 

 deadened by abstinence, in short, the grubs 

 first placed in the cell; it demands, more- 

 over, that the consumption of these grubs 

 shall proceed from the oldest specimens to 

 the most recent, so that the larva may have 

 fresh game to the end. With this object, a 

 curious exception is made to the general 

 rule : the egg is laid before the victualling is 

 commenced. It is laid at the back of the 

 cell; in this way, the stacked provisions will 

 present themselves to the larva in due order 

 of date. 



That is not enough: it is important that 

 the grubs shall be unable, in moving, to alter 

 their respective positions. This circum- 

 stance is provided for: the store-room is a 

 narrow cylinder in which change of place is 

 difficult. 



Even that is not sufficient: the larva must 

 57 



