The Scoliae 



A black livery, with broad yellow patches ; 

 leathery wings, amber-coloured, like the skin 

 of an onion, and watered with purple reflec- 

 tions ; thick, knotted legs, covered with sharp 

 hairs; a massive frame; a powerful head, 

 encased in a hard cranium; a stiff, clumsy 

 gait; a low, short, silent flight: this gives 

 you a concise description of the female, who 

 is strongly equipped for her arduous task. 

 The male, being a mere philanderer, sports 

 a more elegant pair of horns, is more dain- 

 tily clad and has a more graceful figure, 

 without altogether losing the quality of ro- 

 bustness which is his consort's leading char- 

 acteristic. 



It is not without a certain alarm that the 

 insect-collector finds himself for the first time 

 confronted by the Garden Scolia. How is 

 he to capture the imposing creature, how to 

 avoid its sting? If its effect is in proportion 

 to the Wasp's size, the sting of the Scolia 

 must be something terrible. The Hornet, 

 though she unsheath her weapon but once, 

 causes the most exquisite pain. What would 

 it be like if one were stabbed by this co- 

 lossus? The prospect of a swelling as big 

 as a man's fist and as painful as the touch 

 of a red-hot iron passes through our mind 

 at the moment when we are bringing down 

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