More Hunting Wasps 



apicalis, VAN DER LIND, who is hardly 

 larger than the Hive-bee, but very much 

 slenderer. She is of a uniform black; her 

 wings are a cloudy brown, with transparent 

 tips. Let us follow her in her expeditions 

 to the old wall inhabited by the Segestria: 

 we will track her for whole afternoons du- 

 ring the July heats; and we will arm our- 

 selves with patience, for the perilous capture 

 of the game must take the Wasp a long time. 

 The Spider-huntress explores the wall 

 minutely; she runs, leaps and flies; she comes 

 and goes, flitting to and fro. The antennae 

 quiver; the wings, raised above the back, 

 continually beat one against the other. Ah, 

 here she is, close to a Segestria's funnel! 

 The Spider, who has hitherto remained in- 

 visible, instantly appears at the entrance to 

 the tube; she spreads her six fore-legs out- 

 side, ready to receive the huntress. Far 

 from fleeing before the terrible apparition, 

 she watches the watcher, fully prepared to 

 prey upon her enemy. Before this Intrepid 

 demeaneur the Pompilus draws back. She 

 examines the coveted game, walks round it 

 for a moment, then goes away without at- 

 tempting anything. When she has gone, the 

 Segestria retires indoors, backwards. For 

 the second time the Wasp passes near an 

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